Through foresight, a lot of hard work, and a lot of debt, he grew the company and made it a successful business enterprise. So successful that Proctor & Gamble bought the company Iams for $2.3 billion in 1999. He certainly made a lot of money for himself.
He has also invested that money in a number of other ventures. He has also taken the path of giving through numerous philanthropic activities. One of these is the Mathile Family Foundation, which has given over $230 million to serve families and children in need.
Another foundation is the Glen at St. Joseph, which aims to help single mothers face the challenges of single parenthood and succeed in life. There is also the Mathile Institute, which focuses in improving nutrition for children.
And yet there is another foundation called Aileron, after the part of an airplane wing which allows the plane to lift or go higher. Mathile has so far sunk $130 million dollars in the 114 acre campus. The foundation wants to help small entrepreneurs achieve the next level of success and expand. Here, entrepreneurs can get help from other successful entrepreneurs as well as lessons on professionally running a business.
Now aged seventy and one of the richest men in America, Mathile continues to work for himself, but more significantly he continues to devote a great deal of his time and talent working to help others.