Anheuser Busch InBev has formalized their acquisition deal for UK based SABMiller, for $107 billon dollars (USD). Theres’s a twist to this story, however.
The word monopoly has been thrown around when discussing this acquisition. In order to appease regulators, AB InBev is selling SABMiller’s 58% stake in MillerCoors to MolsonCoors. That deal is worth $12 billion in cash. Essentially, those brands will be competing against the beer giant in the United States.
Had AB InBev acquired MillerCoors in the deal, collectively, the company would have controlled nearly 70% of U.S. beer market.
Before the partial stake selloff, AB InBev would have control around 30% of the world’s beer production and sales. That number now is slightly lower (still calculating after the stake-sell off).
