James “Jim” G. Leprino, the Colorado-born billionaire who built the largest mozzarella cheese supplier in the world, died on Thursday, according to the company. He was 88.

Leprino was born in Denver in 1937, and came from a tight-knit Italian community. His father, Mike Sr. immigrated from Potenza, Italy in 1950 and opened a corner grocery store at 38th and Shoshone Streets.

The family business began by making ricotta and scamorza cheese by hand but grew over time into the Leprino Foods Co.

According to the company, Leprino joined the business full-time in 1956 and used family recipes to turn it into the international business that it is today.

Leprino grew up working in his father’s grocery store before launching his own business as the American pizza industry began to boom. Over the decades, he kept a notoriously low profile, rarely giving interviews and allowing few photographs of himself to be published.

Leprino foods supplies cheese to pizza chains worldwide, including Domino’s, Papa John’s, and Pizza Hut.

In 2016, Leprino made the Forbes list of the 400 wealthiest Americans. He was ranked 232nd on the list.

His family released the following statement: “Jim wasn’t just a giant in the business world — he had a generous heart and a deep commitment to giving back. He never forgot the community that stood behind his family’s business through the years, and he gave freely to causes that helped others. He cared deeply about people’s well-being and was especially passionate about supporting medical and healthcare advancements that could make life better for future generations.”

No funeral arrangements have been announced thus far.

The Denver Gazette’s news partners 9NEWS contributed to this story.