This fall, the movie The Founder, starring Michael Keaton, will focus the spotlight on Ray Kroc, the man who amassed a fortune as the chairman of McDonalds. But what about his wife, Joan, the woman who became famous for giving away his fortune? Lisa Napoli tells the fascinating story behind the historic couple.

Ray & Joan is a quintessentially American tale of corporate intrigue and private passion: a struggling Mad Men-era salesman with a vision fora fast-food franchise that would become one of the world's most enduring brands, and a beautiful woman willing to risk her marriage and her reputation to promote controversial causes that touched her deeply.
Ray Kroc was peddling franchises around the country for a fledgling hamburger stand in the 1950s-McDonald's, it was called-when he entered a St. Paul supper club and encountered a beautiful young piano player who would change his life forever. The attraction between...