Chick-Fil-A founder Truett Cathy watches the action on the field during the Chick-Fil-A Bowl between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Tennessee Volunteers at the Georgia Dome on December 31, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)
ATLANTA -- As Chick-fil-A continues to draw both heat and praise following company president and COO Dan Cathy's statement to a Baptist publication that the company is supportive of "the biblical definition of the family unit," Business Insider takes a look at Chick-fil-A's founder and patriarch -- 91-year-old S. Truett Cathy.
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As Business Insider says in its article, "the Cathys are the reason that Chick-fil-A has a strong reputation as a values-based company with strong Christian ideals."
The senior Cathy, the article reminds, has always held strong to his Christian beliefs and has weaved them throughout the company's culture.
The article also mentions a Forbes magazine report that says the senior Cathy has a net worth of around $1.3 billion and that he is the 375th richest person in America.
Son Dan Cathy's recent statement to Baptist Press was quickly heralded by some gay marriage support groups as being anti-gay, and some have asked that their members not patronize the restaurants.
On the flip side, Dan Cathy's comments have drawn praise from some Christian groups. Some of those groups have asked that members eat at Chick-fil-A more often to show support.
(Carla Caldwell, Atlanta Business Chronicle)