Anheuser to Be Sold for $52 Billion

Anheuser-Busch has agreed to sell itself to the Belgian brewer InBev for about $52 billion, the two companies confirmed Monday in a joint release, putting control of the nation’s largest beer maker and a fixture of American culture into a European rival’s hands.

The board of both companies have approved the deal, the statement said.

The all-cash deal, for $70 a share, will create the world’s largest brewer, uniting the maker of Budweiser and Michelob with the producer of Stella Artois, Bass and Brahma. Together, the two companies would have sales of more than $36 billion a year, surpassing the current No. 1 brewer, SABMiller of London.

The combined company will be named Anheuser-Busch InBev, fulfilling a promise by the Belgian company to include the Anheuser name in the new brewer’s title. Anheuser will be given two seats on the board, including one for August A. Busch IV, the company’s chief executive and a scion of its controlling family.

For millions, Budweiser is synonymous with American beer. Because of Anheuser’s huge advertising budget and strong distribution network, few brands are as omnipresent in daily life as Budweiser and its more popular sibling, Bud Light... Full Article

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