In-N-Out's billionaire heiress Lynsi Snyder recently opened up about her past and revealed that she started working shifts at the burger chain founded by her grandparents as a teenager. In an interview with NBC's Today, Ms Snyder, who became the president of In-N-Out Burger at the age of 27, shared the story of her family-run burger business. She revealed that she started working at the restaurant chain as an associate in 1999, when she was just 17 years old. But she also said that she never wanted to be handed any opportunities courtesy of her surname.
According to Fortune, In-N-Out Burger was founded by Lynsi Snyder's grandparents in 1948. When her grandfather, Harry Snyder, died in 1976 the business was led by his sons Rich and Guy. Rich Snyder died in a plane crash in 1993, followed by the death of Ms Snyder's father, Guy Snyder, in 1999. At the age of 17, Lynsi Snyder was the last blood relative surviving of the burger dynasty.
However, speaking to NBC's Today, Ms Snyder said that she never wanted her family name to define her. She told the outlet that she stood in line for two hours to get a job at an In-N-Out restaurant in Redding, California when she was 17.
"I think that there's a stigma that can come with being the owner's kid," she said. "I just wanted to be respected like others, doing it the right way and not having the special treatment," the 41-year-old added.
Ms Snyder revealed that her first job at the burger chain involved doing minor jobs like chopping vegetables and serving customers. In fact, she previously said that no one knew her real identity except the manager of the store. This ensured she was not treated differently from other employees.
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In 2024 Ms Snyder's net worth stands at $6.7 billion, according to Forbes. However, her family's painful history is never out of mind for her, she said. "It really was that family pain and tragedy that really put each leader in its place," she told the outlet.
The 41-year-old also revealed that in the early days of leading the business, she struggled to establish her identity within the company. "In the earlier days I actually wore pantsuits, and I did that because I felt like I was supposed to," Ms Snyder added. "And then I finally was confident in who I am and who I'm not. You're going to get judged either way, so you might as well be judged for being who you are," she continued.
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