The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust recently secured a substantial stake of 1.7 million shares in Anheuser-Busch, according to regulatory filings. This strategic investment not only underscores Gates' confidence in the brewing behemoth but also signals a vote of confidence in one of its key beer brands, which has been grappling with a sharp sales downturn. The Seattle-based charitable foundation oversees assets valued at an impressive $69 billion.
Approximately five months ago, Anheuser-Busch, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, collaborated with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in an ambitious marketing campaign aimed at bolstering Bud Light's market presence across her social media platforms. Unfortunately, the initiative culminated in a debacle, causing Bud Light to lose its coveted top spot, as reported by The Post.
Adding to the woes, Senator Ted Cruz from Texas has launched a probing investigation into Anheuser-Busch, focusing on allegations that the company exploited its partnership with Mulvaney to target an underage demographic. Cruz maintains that crucial documents pertinent to his inquiry have yet to be furnished by the company, as detailed in Komonews.
Over the past half-year, Anheuser-Busch's stock price witnessed a notable descent of nearly 9%, with a recent 3% slump, settling at $56.08 in the last five days. This decline is directly attributable to an enduring nationwide boycott of Bud Light, which shows no signs of abating.
Modelo Especial Ascends, Bill Gates Places Faith in Its Future
In the realm of brewing, Modelo Especial continues its undisputed reign as the unrivaled champion, consistently outpacing Bud Light. According to market intelligence from Bump Williams Consulting and NielsonIQ, in the previous week, Modelo Especial further extended its lead in year-to-date sales, eclipsing Bud Light. As of August 19th, Modelo commands an impressive 8.4% share of beer sales in stores, with Bud Light trailing slightly at 8.2%.
"Consumers are gravitating towards Modelo with increasing frequency and in larger quantities as summer draws to a close," noted Williams, the consultancy's head, in an interview with The Post.
Bill Gates is now staking a daring wager that Modelo's supremacy in the beer market may soon see a formidable challenger.
This isn't the maiden foray by the Microsoft luminary into the realm of beer investments, despite his admission in a 2018 Reddit Q&A that he's "not much of a beer enthusiast."
Back in February, Gates procured a 3.76% interest in Heineken Holding NV by acquiring a staggering 10.8 million shares of the Dutch beverage titan, then valued at approximately $939.87 million.
