Todd Graves (entrepreneur)

Todd Bartlett Graves
Born	Template:Birth year and age New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Occupation	Entrepreneur
Known for	Co-founder of Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers

Todd Bartlett Graves (born 1972) is an American entrepreneur and co-founder of Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, a fast food franchise focused on fried chicken finger dishes.

As of April 2025, Forbes valued his net worth at $17.2 billion, placing him as the 116th richest person worldwide and number 107 on the 2024 Forbes 400 list of wealthiest Americans.

Early life

Graves was born in New Orleans and grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He completed his education at the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge before obtaining a bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia.

Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers

Together with his longtime friend Craig Silvey, Graves crafted their business strategy by utilizing Silvey's business course at LSU.

The inaugural Raising Cane's location was launched by Graves in 1996 near the North Gates of Louisiana State University on Highland Road. By 2022, the chain had grown to more than 600 outlets throughout the United States and the Middle East.

The restaurant's name honors Raising Cane I, Graves' dog at the time of the first store's establishment. The company's headquarters are situated in Baton Rouge.

Personal life

In 2000, Graves wed Gwen Drain, a McDonald's franchise operator and longtime acquaintance. The couple resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with their two daughters and their yellow Labrador named Raising Cane III.

Collections

A passionate collector, Graves has loaned a 66-million-year-old triceratops skull to the Louisiana Arts and Science Museum. Additionally, he has provided the hearse that transported Martin Luther King Jr. to various exhibitions across the country.