This post is one of several on business heirs apparent. Let us know in the comments whether you think Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken's heir should take up the reigns of Heineken, and be sure to check out the other heir apparent posts.
It was Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken's father, Alfred "Freddie" Heineken, who built the family business from a small Dutch brewer into Europe's largest brewing empire. A well-known bon vivant, he was friendly with the Dutch royal family, and his sense of humor didn't abandon him even after a three-week kidnapping ordeal in 1983: he claimed that his kidnappers tortured him by making him drink Carlsburg.
On Freddie's death in 2003, his heir apparent and only child, Charlene, became the wealthiest woman in the Netherlands, now worth more than $7 billion. She lives a more low-key life in London with her five children and stock broker, and former Olympic skier, husband. She continues to hold the controlling stake in Heineken, though she hasn't been as involved in the company day-to-day as her father was. She told a family biographer that she intends to keep the business together until her heir apparent, her eldest son, is old enough to take on the mantle.
Heineken hasn't been running on cruise control, however. It just announced a plan to build a brewery in South Africa and has continued its expansion into central and eastern Europe by acquiring Romanian Brewer Bere Mures. But the biggest news recently is Heineken's joint venture with Carlsberg to buy up and break apart British brewer Scottish & Newcastle, a deal which was just approved by EU regulators. Under the terms of the deal, Heineken will take control of S&N's British, Belgian, and Indian operations, while Carlsburg gets those in Russia, Greece, and China.
Unless something unexpected happens, when Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken passes the reins to her son, he'll be taking over a brewing company bigger than Anheuser-Busch Cos. (NYSE: BUD). In the meantime, the Heineken company retains a sense of humor, at least as far as its advertising goes:
Also be sure to check out the other heir apparent posts.
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