It's official -- a company that has stood for generations of Busch's as an icon of the American beer industry is no more. Reuters reports that Anheuser-Busch (NYSE: BUD) has accepted a $50 billion offer to be acquired by InBev. Reuters reports that the combined company will be called Anheuser-Busch InBev.
I have been watching advertisements from Anheuser-Busch for years and I think they have been the most entertaining around. InBev is known as an aggressive cost cutter and it's not clear whether these ads will continue into the future. One thing that would not surprise me in the least would be for the Busch family -- whose sons have run the place for generations -- to take their money and leave the business.
With Abu Dhabi buying Manhattan's Chrysler building last week, it will be interesting to see what other American icons get sold off to the highest global bidder before the next president takes office.
Peter Cohan is President of Peter S. Cohan & Associates. He also teaches management at Babson College and edits The Cohan Letter
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-13-2008 @ 10:10PM
Mr. noitall said...
Well it's a sad day for Anheuser-Busch. And a sad day for Inbev also, I just can see BUD being owned by a foreign company. These things never work out, I think Americans will stop buying BUD. Inbev will lose money on this deal.
7-13-2008 @ 10:40PM
birdieman said...
What will they buy if they quit drinking Bud?
7-13-2008 @ 10:42PM
birdieman said...
If people don't drink Bud, what will they go to?
7-14-2008 @ 12:08AM
Ed said...
Just stop drinking beer!! That's what I did, over a year ago!! Bush makes no money off me anymore!!
7-14-2008 @ 8:24AM
zbadblonde said...
NO MORE BUDWEISER FOR ME !!!! I sure hope everybody that drinks bud like me takes the same stance. Budweiser may be for sale but I'm not. Lets stand together and wake these people up.
7-14-2008 @ 10:14AM
Cheryl said...
There are plenty of alternatives out there. Samuel Adams is still American owned, and there are microbreweries all over the place. I dont drink beer often, but I WILL boycott anything associated with this company from now on. No more Sea World, Busch Gardens or Bud for me...PERIOD.
7-14-2008 @ 1:56PM
Marshall said...
I hope China likes the beer...I won't be buying anymore of it.
Of course...maybe China will export it to our country. Pehaps to poison us?
7-14-2008 @ 2:08PM
Laura said...
I agree with Cheryl.
FYI, I was told Miller is owned by S. Africa, and
Coors by Canada.
But Bud WAS the king of beers. No more!
8-17-2008 @ 4:31PM
Steve said...
Try Lone Star Beer, I did and it is better tasting than bud. It makes me sick that so many are selling out for the bucks.