40% of McDonald's profits come from the sales of Happy Meals. Probably false. Profits are one thing, sales another. Though the 60s and 70s, major profits came through real estate and franchise fees. Over the last few years McDonald's has found it tough to be profitable. Happy Meals, introduced 1979, were a major sales boost, but so were McNuggets (1984). As a share of sales, Happy Meals probably aren't 40% except for unusual short term spurts (such as the Teeny Beanie toy that sold out in two weeks) though McD's sells enough to be one of the world's major distributors of small toys.