|
CNBC'S MOST SHARED
- Unemployed? Bored? Make Money Playing Beer Pong
- Warren Buffett's Top Three Investment Rules for the Average American
- The Highest Grossing (Inflation Adjusted) Movies of All Time
- Merrill's McCann Seen as UBS Wealth Frontrunner
- Geek Squad V. Gizmodo
- Social Networking's 'Naked' Truth
- WPP's Sir Martin Sorrell on the Ad Recession
- Why You Should Watch Fund Flows
- Dykstra Discusses Bankruptcy
- Why the Credit Pendulum Is Stuck at 'Stupid'
- Cheney Told CIA to Withhold Information: Report
- 'Bruno' Fashions Top Spot at US Box Office
- Stimulus Will Kick in Later this Year: President Obama
- Lender CIT Group Hires Premier Bankruptcy Adviser
- Government Selling Bank Stakes for Too Cheap: Panel
- Buffett's Top 3 Investment Rules for Average Americans
- Market Insider: Earnings Loom in the Week Ahead
- Bulls Get Summertime Blues, But It's Hot Fun for Bears
- Eric Schmidt on Government Scrutiny and Economic Recovery
- Market 360: The Week's Best & Worst
- Geek Squad V. Gizmodo
- Brandt: Google Chrome OS in the Post-PC Age
- Other People Are Weirder Than We Are
- Bank Failures: Is The Nightmare Over? (Video)
- California Here I Go? No.
- Roginsky: No More Mr. Nice Guy
- Commercial Conundrum
Text Size 
A member of the founding family of Anheuser-Busch said any talks with Belgian brewer InBev should be based on shareholder value rather than the Busch family's legacy, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
 |
AP |
The comments signal a hardening of the split within the family, which could embolden InBev to make a bid for the St. Louis brewer, the newspaper said.
InBev is weighing a bid that could top $45 billion, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
"A possible merger is not a family issue," Adolphus Busch IV wrote in a release to the newspaper. It is not "a matter of family solidarity or legacy. It is strictly a matter of shareholder value.”
"It is no secret that the sluggish performance of the stock is a concern," he added.
Adolphus Busch, an uncle of Anheuser-Busch [BUD
Loading...
()
] Chief Executive Officer August Busch IV, who controls less than 1 percent of Anheuser shares. He told The Wall Street Journal earlier this week that some family members were open to the idea of the two brewers negotiating.
August Busch and his father, Anheuser director August Busch III, are opposed to a deal with InBev, people close to the company say, according to the Journal. Busch family members own a small percentage of Anheuser stock, so even if a majority of them were to oppose a deal, they could not block one.
Adolphus Busch also said the views of Warren Buffett would play a major role in whether a deal occurs.
Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway [BRK
Loading...
()
] is the brewer's second-largest shareholder with a stake of below 5 percent.
Buffett "has a notable reputation for assisting in matters where family ownership is at stake," Adolphus Busch was quoted as saying. "Should Mr Buffett see this merger as a positive action for all shareholders involved, the likelihood of a deal will increase enormously."
A spokesman for Adolphus Busch said he had not spoken with Buffett and was not aware of his views, the newspaper said. Buffett declined to comment, as did Anheuser, the Journal said.
Print
Email
Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes