On May 9, 1993, Marvin Schwan, the company's founder, died at the age of 64 as the result of a heart attack. Schwan employees were stunned at the news. With one great idea and a lot of hard work and dedication, Marvin helped turn his tiny rural business into a multibillion-dollar company. Newspapers throughout the country carried Marvin's obituary because it was important news to business leaders throughout the world. Some reporters labeled him "The Emperor of Ice Cream.