Hot Cheetos were invented by Frito-Lay janitor Richard Montañez, who developed the idea for the spicy snack inspired by Mexican street corn. Montañez created a homemade batch of spicy Cheetos and pitched the idea to Frito-Lay's CEO in the early 1990s, leading to the launch of Flamin' Hot Cheetos in 1991. However, this story is disputed by Frito-Lay, which states the product was developed by a team of snack professionals at the corporate headquarters starting in 1989, and not by Montañez alone. Despite the controversy, Montañez rose through the ranks at Frito-Lay and became a notable executive and business icon in the Hispanic community.

The original Cheetos (non-spicy) were invented much earlier, in 1948, by Charles Elmer Doolin, the creator of Fritos.