This company profile of Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) exposes the practices of the world’s largest beer producer. It highlights examples of the company’s strategies of political interference, promotion, sabotage, manipulation, and deception, known as the Dubious Five strategies

Introduction

Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) was formed in 2008 through the merger of InBev and Anheuser-Busch, combining two of the world’s largest brewers. Headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, AB InBev is listed on Euronext Brussels and the New York Stock Exchange. Today, it operates in over 50 countries and holds the position of the world’s largest beer producer, with a portfolio that spans global, local, and no-alcohol brands. Michel Doukeris has been the Chief Executive Officer since July 2021.

AB InBev is a beer giant created by multiple take-overs of competitors:

  • AB InBev was formed through the Belgian InBev acquiring the American company Anheuser-Busch.
  • InBev itself was a beer giant created by the merger of Belgium-based Interbrew and Brazilian beer giant AmBev in 2004. It existed independently until the take-over by Anheuser-Busch in 2008, which formed Anheuser-Busch InBev.
    • The beer giant became the largest beer producer in the world.
  • AB InBev took over its main competitor SABMiller in October 2016. At the time SABMiller was the second largest beer brewer worldwide by revenue.
    • The new “beerhemoth” controls more than 500 beer brands sold in over 150 countries. Their international brands include Beck’s, Stella Artois, Brahmas, Budweiser, Corona, Leffe and Hoegaarden.
  • Anheuser-Busch InBev generated global revenue of over $59 billion in 2023. This was an increase over the $57 billion dollars in revenue in 2022. 

Our biggest opportunity is in the beer category, which is inclusive, natural, and local. We want to move from being the category leader to leading category growth.”

– AB InBev Annual Report 2021 

Fast Facts about AB InBev

  • Total revenue (2023): USD59.4 Billion
  • Net profit (2023): USD20.0 Billion
  • Marketing spending (2023): USD7.2 Billion
  • Lobbying spending (US, 2022): USD5,100,000
  • Lobbying spending (EU, 2022): EUR300,000–399,999
  • Total volume beer sold (2023): 518 Million hl
  • Global beer market share (2023): 27.4%
  • Number of employees (2023): 169,000
  • Worldwide operations: 50 countrie

Brands

Local megabrands

  • Aguila
  • Brahma
  • Carling Black Label
  • Cass Fresh
  • Jupiler
  • Quilmes
  • Skol
  • Victoria

Global brands

  • Stella Artois
  • Budweiser
  • Corona Extra
  • Michelob ULTRA

No-alcohol

  • Budweiser Zero
  • Corona 0.0
  • Stella Artois Liberté

Ready-to-drink (RTD)

  • Brutal Fruit
  • Cutware
  • Nütrl

MANAGEMENT TEAM AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

  • Martin J. Barrington, Board Chair
  • Lynne Biggar, Director
  • Michele Burns, Director
  • Dr. Aradhana Sarin, Director
  • Dirk Van de Put, Director
  • Sabine Chalmers, Director
  • Paul Cornet de Ways Ruart, Director
  • Claudio Moniz Barreto Garcia, Director
  • Paulo Alberto Lemann, Director
  • Nitin Nohria, Director
  • Alexandre van Damme, Director
  • Alejandro Santo Domingo Dávila, Director
  • Michel Doukeris, President and Chief Executive Officer

front groups

Interfering in policy and science AB InBev front groups are designed to advance long-term public relations goals to interfere in both policy and science.  Source

Unethical practices by AB InBev

Misconduct Report Jun 9 '26 Promotion
Inside AB InBev’s World Cup Machine: How the World’s Largest Brewer Exploits Football to Maximise Alcohol Sales

The alcohol industry is turning the 2026 FIFA World Cup into the largest marketing offensive in the history of sports, and AB InBev is ...
Misconduct Report Jun 5 '26 Deception
Bought and Brewed: How the Beer Industry Wants You to Think Beer Is Healthy

Vitamin B6 is in almost everything people eat, and deficiency is rare. A German study, funded by Heineken and AB InBev through a German ...
Misconduct Report May 21 '26 Promotion
Ambev Counts Down to the World Cup. Brazil’s Children Will Pay the Price.

Thirty days out from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Ambev is escalating massive alcohol marketing fronted by national football icons and centred ...
Misconduct Report May 18 '26 Manipulation, Political interference
Brazil’s Selective Tax Delayed After Beer Industry-Aligned Polling Reaches President Lula’s Advisers

An internal survey by Instituto Locomotiva – with question framing that mirrors the beer industry’s lobbying messaging – has ...
Misconduct Report May 8 '26 Manipulation, Promotion
How Big Alcohol Is Using the 2026 World Cup to Push Young People Back to Alcohol

Big Alcohol corporations are turning the 2026 FIFA World Cup into the largest alcohol marketing operation in the history of sport. For ...
Misconduct Report Apr 29 '26 Deception, Political interference
Brazilian Beer Industry Lies About Beer Tax While Its Lowest in the Americas

As Brazil discusses alcohol taxes, WHO data shows that the excise tax share on Brazilian beer at 2.28% is the lowest in the Americas ...