 He started the Bradford Exchange, and by the time of his death, it sold about 90 percent of all the collectable plates in the world.Often credited with becoming "a self-made millionaire," MacArthur did have some financial backing from his father, but the concept, business plan and effort behind the Bradford Exchange were Rod MacArthur's own.In 1975, once the business had become successful, MacArthur's father claimed that the Bradford Exchange was "his" business, seizing its customer lists and putting the on-hand inventory under lock and key.