Wayne Kent Taylor was an American businessman best known as the founder and longtime CEO of Texas Roadhouse. Born on September 27, 1955, at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, he grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, and built a successful career in the restaurant industry. Taylor opened the first Texas Roadhouse location in 1993 and helped transform the brand into a major casual-dining chain. Beyond his business career, he was involved in philanthropy and supported several charitable causes. His life also included a book, Made From Scratch: The Legendary Success Story of Texas Roadhouse. Taylor died on March 18, 2021, at age 65, leaving behind a lasting business legacy and three children.
Early Life and Education
Taylor was born on September 27, 1955, at the U.S. Army base in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. His parents were Powell Taylor and Marilyn Taylor. His father had served in the Army before working for General Electric, while his mother worked as a buyer for a local boutique. The family later lived in Louisville, Kentucky, where Taylor spent much of his childhood.
He attended Ballard High School in Louisville and developed a strong interest in running. Taylor later received a track scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he studied business and earned his degree in 1977. His athletic background and interest in business became important parts of the story he later told about his career.
Restaurant Career
Before creating Texas Roadhouse, Taylor gained experience in the restaurant industry. He worked with restaurant chains including Bennigan’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken and eventually became involved in restaurant ownership.
Before Texas Roadhouse, he also founded and co-owned Buckhead Bar & Grill in Louisville, Kentucky. Texas Roadhouse’s SEC filings later described Taylor as having more than 35 years of restaurant-industry experience.
His early career was not an overnight success. Taylor faced numerous rejections while trying to find investors for his restaurant ideas. Eventually, he found the support needed to launch the concept that became Texas Roadhouse.
Texas Roadhouse and Business Success
The biggest part of Taylor’s career was the creation of Texas Roadhouse. He opened the first restaurant in Clarksville, Indiana, in 1993. The company says the original concept was based on fresh food, hand-cut steaks, made-from-scratch sides, fresh bread, and a relaxed atmosphere.
Taylor remained closely involved with the business as it expanded. According to Texas Roadhouse’s SEC filing from early 2021, he was the company’s founder, chairman, and chief executive officer. The filing stated that the business had grown to 634 restaurants in 49 states and 10 foreign countries at that time.
Texas Roadhouse also credits Taylor with creating the vision behind the brand. The company’s official history says that the idea for the restaurant was sketched on a cocktail napkin before becoming a nationwide restaurant concept.
Kent Taylor Net Worth
The exact personal net worth of Kent Taylor at the time of his death is difficult to establish because net worth depends on assets, stock holdings, property, liabilities, and other private financial information.
Some reports published shortly after his death estimated his wealth at more than $600 million, based largely on his Texas Roadhouse stock holdings and other reported assets. Market Realist, citing Wallmine, reported an estimate of at least $601 million as of March 2021.
However, online estimates should be treated carefully. For example, GuruFocus currently provides a much different figure based on assumptions about stock holdings and explicitly warns that its estimate may not represent Taylor’s actual net worth.
Therefore, there is no single independently verified figure that should be presented as his exact net worth. A reasonable way to describe it is that Taylor was a very wealthy businessman whose fortune was closely connected to his ownership of Texas Roadhouse stock.
Family and Personal Life
Taylor was a private person in many aspects of his personal life, although some details about his family have been publicly reported.
Reports state that he was married twice, with both marriages ending in divorce. He was survived by three children: Michelle, Brittney, and Max. He also had five grandchildren.
His son Max Taylor was also mentioned in a detailed Fortune profile about his father’s final years and business legacy. Taylor had been planning to spend more time with Max, his two daughters, and his grandchildren before his death.
Children and Kids
Kent Taylor had three children: Michelle, Brittney, and Max. He also had five grandchildren.
His family became an important part of the public story surrounding his death. In interviews and profiles published afterward, relatives and colleagues discussed Taylor’s work, personality, business career, and the difficulties he experienced during the final months of his life.
Political Party
There is no reliable public source establishing a political-party affiliation for Taylor. His public biography and major profiles primarily focus on his restaurant career, philanthropy, family, and business activities.
Because a political affiliation is not clearly documented in the reliable sources reviewed for this article, it would be misleading to assign him to a particular political party without evidence.
Death in 2021
Kent Taylor died on March 18, 2021, in Louisville, Kentucky, at the age of 65. Texas Roadhouse officially announced his death that day and described him as the company’s founder and CEO. The company’s SEC filing also confirmed that the board appointed Gerald L. Morgan as CEO following Taylor’s death.
His death came during a difficult period in which he had been dealing with health problems following a COVID-19 infection.
Cause of Death
Taylor’s cause of death has been publicly reported as suicide following a struggle with post-COVID-19 symptoms. His family said that he had been dealing with severe tinnitus and other lingering symptoms after contracting COVID-19.
This part of his story has been reported by major news organizations and was also discussed by people close to him. Fortune reported that Taylor died at his farm outside Louisville after struggling with lingering effects of COVID-19.
The subject should be discussed respectfully, without unnecessary details about the method of death.
Grave and Burial
Public sources reviewed for this article confirm Taylor’s date and place of death, but they do not provide sufficiently reliable information about a specific cemetery or publicly documented grave location.
For that reason, an exact burial location should not be stated as fact unless it can be confirmed through an official funeral-home record, cemetery record, or another authoritative source.
Philanthropy and Legacy
Taylor’s legacy was not limited to Texas Roadhouse. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he gave up his entire compensation package to help support frontline workers at the company. Texas Roadhouse highlighted this decision in its official announcement following his death.
He also supported several charitable organizations, including Homes for Our Troops, Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics Kentucky, and the Kentucky Nature Conservancy.
Taylor also supported research related to tinnitus. His family said he had funded a clinical study intended to help military members dealing with tinnitus.
Made From Scratch: His Book
Taylor was also the author of Made From Scratch: The Legendary Success Story of Texas Roadhouse. The book was published by Simon & Schuster in August 2021, several months after his death.
The 320-page book tells the story of how Taylor developed Texas Roadhouse and discusses his approach to leadership, business, employees, and restaurant operations. The publisher describes it as the story of the company’s growth and the unconventional business practices behind the brand.
One notable detail is that Taylor had been working on the book before his death. It became a posthumously published account of the business he founded and the lessons he wanted to share from his career.
Legacy of the Texas Roadhouse Founder
Taylor’s career remains closely associated with Texas Roadhouse. From the opening of the first location in Clarksville, Indiana, in 1993, the company expanded into a large restaurant chain operating across the United States and internationally.
His story combines entrepreneurship, restaurant management, philanthropy, and the challenges he faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. His book, Made From Scratch, provides another source for understanding how he viewed the company and the business principles behind its growth.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Wayne Kent Taylor |
| Known as | Kent Taylor |
| Born | September 27, 1955 |
| Birthplace | Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, United States |
| Raised in | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Education | Ballard High School; University of North Carolina |
| Profession | Businessman and restaurateur |
| Known for | Founding Texas Roadhouse |
| First Texas Roadhouse | Clarksville, Indiana, 1993 |
| Position | Founder, Chairman and CEO |
| Died | March 18, 2021 |
| Age at death | 65 |
| Place of death | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Children | Three |
| Book | Made From Scratch: The Legendary Success Story of Texas Roadhouse |
Conclusion
Kent Taylor built his career around the restaurant business and became best known as the founder, chairman, and CEO of Texas Roadhouse. From opening the first location in 1993 to helping expand the company into a large restaurant chain, his career was closely connected to the brand’s growth. He was born in 1955, died in 2021 at age 65, and left behind three children and a book documenting the Texas Roadhouse story. His final years also brought significant personal challenges related to post-COVID-19 symptoms. Today, his business story continues through Texas Roadhouse and his book, Made From Scratch.
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FAQs
What happened to Kent Taylor?
Kent Taylor, the founder and CEO of Texas Roadhouse, died on March 18, 2021, at age 65. His family said he died by suicide after struggling with post-COVID-19 symptoms, including severe tinnitus.
How much is the CEO of Texas Roadhouse worth?
Kent Taylor was estimated to be worth at least $601 million shortly before his death in 2021, according to a report based on his stock holdings. This was an estimate rather than a verified final net-worth figure.
What happened to the founder of Texas Roadhouse?
Texas Roadhouse founder Kent Taylor died on March 18, 2021, after experiencing serious post-COVID-19 health problems. The company appointed Jerry Morgan as CEO following his death.
How much is Wayne Taylor worth?
Wayne Kent Taylor’s exact final net worth is not publicly confirmed. A 2021 estimate placed his wealth at at least $601 million, largely based on his Texas Roadhouse stock holdings.
What is Kent Taylor’s net worth?
Kent Taylor’s net worth was estimated at at least $601 million shortly before his death, although this should be treated as an estimate rather than an officially verified figure.
