Memo to Bill Gates? Drink up.
It has come to light that Microsoft/Big Tech baron Bill Gates has invested Big Time in…wait for it….Anheuser-Busch. Which is to say yes, he’s putting his money down on the owners of….Bud Light. Fox Business reached out to former Anheuser-Busch executive Anson Frericks, running this headline about the Gates investment: https://www.foxbusiness.com/
Bill Gates’ foundation trust making Bud Light bet is a ‘mistake,’ former Anheuser-Busch exec says
Microsoft co-founder’s foundation trust purchased 1.7 million shares of Anheuser-Busch last quarter
Fox reports:
“Despite Bud Light parent company Anheuser-Busch’s recent struggles, billionaire investor Bill Gates has poured nearly $100 million into the beer maker.
A former executive of the brand warned simply, it is a ‘mistake.’
‘Bill Gates is definitely making a mistake,’ former Anheuser-Busch executive Anson Frericks said. ‘Earlier this year, he already made a $900 million mistake when he invested into one of Anheuser-Busch’s largest rivals, Heineken. He did that earlier this year. And since that investment, Heineken’s down about 10%, whereas the broader markets are up 10%.’
‘So if I was looking for advice on investing to software companies, tech companies, I might go to Bill Gates. But if you’re looking at the beer industry, he doesn’t have a great track record of investing in winners at this point,’ he added Wednesday on “Cavuto: Coast to Coast.”
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, which manages the funds of the foundation the Microsoft co-founder still runs with his ex-wife, purchased 1.7 million shares of Anheuser-Busch last quarter, according to a regulatory filing. The transaction is valued at $95 million.”
So in other words, the world famous Big Tech guy has just plowed $95 million into but more than a few Bud Lights. Somewhere along the line one suspects ole Bill may want to sit down and pour himself a few as he reflects on all of this.
Or maybe it’s just part of the joy of having a few extra billion in the office safe. Next to the refrigerator.
