Doritos Locos Taco Mastermind Dies Without Ever Making A Dollar From His Idea

Todd Mills, 41, never made any money from his multi-million dollar idea, his wife, Ginger, told USA Today.

Instead, Mills was just happy to have his "cool idea" come true, Ginger told the paper.

Mills got the idea for tacos made with a Dorito shell because he often used the chips to make taco salads.

He wrote a letter to Frito-Lay pitching his idea, but the company declined, Mills' wife said.

Undaunted, Mills started a Facebook movement in 2009 which eventually gained thousands of followers.

In 2012, Taco Bell flew Mills to a test kitchen to try the product for the first time.

Taco Bell called Mills a "true friend" of the company. They also donated $1,000 toward his medical costs.

Taco Bell told HuffPo earlier this year that they had sold more than $1 billion worth of Doritos Locos Tacos.

Mills' best friend told USA Today that his friend didn't care about potentially profiting from the idea.

"Todd being Todd, he never asked for anything," the friend told the paper. "He said, 'I just want my tacos.'"

His friends have started a memorial Facebook page called "Tacos for Todd.'