Mark Mateschitz

Mark Dietrich Mateschitz (German: [ˈmatεˌʃɪt͡s]; born May 1992) is an Austrian billionaire. He owns 49% of Red Bull GmbH, the energy-drink company that was co-founded by his father, Dietrich Mateschitz.

Mateschitz owns 49% owner of Red Bull, the world’s largest energy drink maker. The Salzburg, Austria-based company sold 11.6 billion cans and had revenue of 9.7 billion euros ($10.2 billion) in 2022. He inherited his stake from his father, Dietrich, who co-founded Red Bull and died in October 2022 aged 78.

The majority of Mateschitz’s fortune is derived from a 49% stake in Red Bull, the world’s largest energy drink company. His father, Dietrich, founded the business with the late Chaleo Yoovidhya, each investing $500,000 and taking 49% stakes, with Yoovidhya’s son getting the balance. Dietrich Mateschitz died in October 2022, aged 78, and passed his stake to his Mark, his only child. The elder Yoovidhya died in March 2012, and the stake passed to his family as well.

Red Bull and consolidated subsidiaries sold 11.6 billion cans and had revenue of 9.7 billion euros ($10.2 billion) in 2022, according to its website. It’s valued using the average enterprise value-to-sales multiples of three publicly traded peer companies: Monster Beverage, Coca-Cola Consolidated and Keurig Dr. Pepper.

The value of his cash investments was based on an analysis of his spending as well as dividends, taxes and market performance.

A spokeswoman for Red Bull declined to comment on the Mateschitz family’s wealth.

Table of Contents

Life

Mateschitz was born in May 1992, the only child of Dietrich Mateschitz and Anita Gerhardter. He went to high school in Salzburg, and then studied business administration at Salzburg University of Applied Sciences. During his early life, he kept a low profile and went by his mother’s surname; only his middle name, Dietrich, suggested a link to his father.

In 2018, he launched his own drinks company, Thalheimer Heilwasser GmbH, which produces beer and lemonade from water from one of Austria’s oldest springs.

When his father died in October 2022, he inherited his father’s 49% stake in Red Bull GmbH. He immediately stepped down as an employee of the company in order to concentrate on his role as a shareholder.

He sits on the board of the Red Bull Wings for Life Foundation, which is run chiefly by his mother.

Biography

Education: University of Applied Sciences

Born in May 1992, Mark Mateschitz went to high-school in Salzburg and studied business at the city’s University of Applied Sciences.

He’s the only child of Dietrich Mateschitz, who died in October 2022 after amassing one of the world’s biggest fortunes through energy drink business Red Bull. Mark inherited his father’s stake in the Salzburg-based company following his death. He also stepped back from Red Bull’s operations to focus on his role as a shareholder.

In 1982, Dietrich discovered a Thai energy concentrate called Krating Daeng — or Red Bull — owned by Thai Blendax licensee Chaleo Yoovidhya. The pair both invested $500,000 two years later to create Red Bull, each taking a 49% stake, with Yoovidhya’s son taking the remainder. It was agreed that Mateschitz would be responsible for managing the company. It began operating in Austria in 1987.

Over the next few years, Red Bull began to expand worldwide and increasingly became known for marketing stunts that focused on sponsoring extreme sports and events. The Flying Bulls, an airplane stunt team was founded in Salzburg, Austria in 1999, complementing Red Bull’s sponsorship of endurance races, Formula One and various extreme sports. Mateschitz holds a pilots license and owns a collection of historic planes he keeps at Salzburg airport.

The company bought the Red Bull Formula One racing team in 2005, which, between 2010 and 2012, won three consecutive world titles. Other high-profile deals included the purchase of a New York Major League Soccer team and sponsored events in sports such as ice skating and cliff diving.