Chef Boyardee's founder sold the brand for $6 million in 1946—Conagra has just sold it for $600 million to a private equity firm

Two cans of Chef Boyardee, with a microwaveable cup version on top (Credit: Getty Images—DebbiSmirnoff)

• Founded by an Italian immigrant, Chef Boyardee is emblematic of the American Dream. As a teenager, Hector Boiardi left Europe to become a top chef at a luxury New York hotel before going out on his own and eventually creating a nationwide brand. Nearly a century later, the Chef Boyardee brand has gone from a $6 million sale in 1946 to a $600 million deal today, marking a 10,000% increase in value. 

You might know Chef Boyardee for being a staple across U.S. grocery store shelves or for rolling to the home of a disappointed young girl in its iconic 2000s TV ad.