August Busch IV

Early life

August Anheuser Busch IV is a great-great-grandson of founder Adolphus Busch and a great-great-great-grandson of Eberhard Anheuser. His parents divorced when he was five, and he lived with his mother; time with his father was mostly spent at the brewery. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Saint Louis University and later a brewmaster's degree from a brewing institute in Berlin.

Anheuser-Busch

After graduation, Busch started at the bottom of Anheuser-Busch as a brewing apprentice and union member, then worked in the culture yeast center and as a foreman in packaging and shipping. In 1989 he moved into marketing, working on the Bud Dry brand launch, which was initially successful but ultimately unsuccessful. His father opposed the campaign but later admitted losing touch with younger consumers. Busch became vice president of brand management in 1994, vice president of marketing in 1996, and group vice president of marketing and wholesale operations in 2000.

He emphasized creative, humorous advertising, telling Fortune that Budweiser sales would grow only if the brand's identity was reinvented. His campaigns included the Budweiser Frogs, a friendly alligator, a sinister penguin, partying ants, and a lizard named Louie. These ads helped Anheuser-Busch stock rise 27% in 1996, and by 1998 the company achieved its best sales year ever. In 2002, Busch and other family members were passed over when Patrick Stokes became the first non-family president and CEO.

Personal life

August Busch IV earned advanced black belt ranks in Judo, Tae-Kwon-Do, and Hapkido under Korean Grand Master Bong Yul Shin, who also acted as his bodyguard. He is qualified to pilot both helicopters and jets.

Legal troubles

At age 19, while attending the University of Arizona, Busch was in an auto accident that killed his passenger, 21-year-old Michele Frederick. The car flipped at a curve known for accidents; Frederick flew through the sunroof and was likely killed instantly. Busch left the scene without informing anyone. Police found empty Bud Light cans near the car, a wallet with two driver's licenses registered to Busch, and a handgun.

They found Busch at his Tucson townhouse with blood on his body, a sawed-off shotgun, and in a dazed condition with signs of amnesia; he had suffered a skull fracture. After investigation, the Pima County District Attorney did not charge Busch, stating that while he appeared to have been speeding at 45 mph, that was not sufficient for charges, and witnesses did not report excessive drinking. Blood and urine samples were taken but the urine sample was lost and the blood sample was rendered useless by a centrifuge.

At age 20, Busch was arrested in St. Louis after leading undercover police on a chase at 85–90 mph on Kingshighway Boulevard. He had been returning from a strip bar in Sauget, Illinois.

Officers shot out his rear tire to end the chase. Busch claimed he thought they were attempting to kidnap him; police accused him of trying to run over two officers. He was acquitted of assault by a St. Louis jury.

Did You Know?

• He won the USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter every year from 1999 to 2008, ten straight years.
• He filed for divorce from his wife Kate in the same month the InBev takeover was completed, November 2008.