Warren Buffett has long been known for his love of investing in family-owned or family-controlled businesses. Recently he's been emphasizing a related specialty: helping to shape the sale of sizable companies with a significant family presence to bigger buyers. Consider:
- Anheuser-Busch Cos.' $52 billion sale to InBev SA. Though he stayed in the background while the Busch family drama took center stage, Buffett is the second-largest shareholder in A-B and was likely influential in the deal, according to analysts.
- Buffett also helped finance Rohm and Haas Co.'s acquisition by Dow Chemical Co. for $18.8 billion, announced last week, buying $3 billion worth of Dow convertible preferred securities to help fund the deal. Rohm and Haas is 30% owned by the Haas family.
- In Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co.'s $23 billion acquisition of Mars Inc., announced in April, Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. funded $4.4 billion of subordinated debt, and the Wrigley family (along with the rest of Chicagoland) were glad to see Buffett involved.
Here's another common thread. All three companies are important presences in their respective hometowns of St. Louis, Philadelphia and Chicago, and all three deals call for them to continue in that role with their brand banners hoisted high. Simple common sense? Sure. But come to think of it, that's something else Buffett's known for.
- Maria Woehr
Join Corporate Dealmaker's LinkedIn forum
Juergen Lasowski
And the winners are...
