Most of the biggest companies that we know of originated in the United States. But before businesses like Starbucks, Apple, etc. became the leaders in their own fields, they also started small. The world of business is not as straightforward as you think. One company might have started in the United States but would venture elsewhere and take off from there. You might even be surprised to hear that a lot of famous brands started in America! From IBM to Ben and Jerry’s to Holiday Inn, foreign investors are a big part of the future of these companies. Without them, these companies may not be where they are today.
These Brands May Originate From The United States But Worldwide Domination Is The Reason For Their Success
General Electric
Before growing becoming the multinational conglomerate that it is now, General Electric started as a pretty small brand in 1982. This brand is one of those brands that feel homegrown, thanks to the stamps stating “Made in America” on their products. However, the company is owned by a Chinese company called Haier ever since 2016. Haier purchased GE for $5.4 billion. Despite the products being made in the United States, all of the company decisions are made in China.
General Electric
AMC
AMC cinemas have been giving movie lovers the best experience they could give for about a century now. The company made its name stand out in the industry and even going on to become the biggest movie theatre chain on the planet. Despite its initials stating that AMC stands for “American Multi-Cinema”, the company is owned by the Dalian Wanda Group. This Chinese company has been the majority stakeholder from 2012 to 2018. However, this had a bit of a change after Silver Lake Partners bought a $600 million stake in it in 2018. The Dalian Wanda Group still makes the call for executive-level decisions.
AMC
Budweiser
When it comes to beers, a lot of people believe that you cannot get more American with a beer than Budweiser. It may be true in the past, but the company is not an American company anymore despite being founded in Missouri and continues to say “America” on their containers. The company was bought by a Belgium beer powerhouse called InBev for $52 billion in 2008. Its past may have been American, but we are not so sure about its future. We are just glad that they still taste the same as they are before.
Budweiser
Ben & Jerry’s
The famous ice cream company has been a staple of pop-culture over the years. It has been mentioned a lot of times in different TV shows and movies, there is certainly no denying that Ben and Jerry’s is one of the most beloved food in the United States. In 1978, a pair of best friends named Jerry Greenfield and Ben Cohen founded the company as an ice cream parlor in Vermont. Unilever later bought the company for $326 in the year 2000. The London-based conglomerate was the highest bidder among the three companies who wanted to buy the ice cream company.
Ben & Jerry’s
Burger King
When people think of fast food, the United States usually comes to mind, seeing that a lot of famous food chains are homegrown from the United States, and Burger King is one of them. Under the name of “Insta Burger King”, David Egerton and James McLamore opened the first store in Miami in 1954. They were not aware that their small company would go on to become an international brand. They first sold the company after a decade and has since then gone through numerous different owners. The company is currently owned by a Canadian company named Restaurant Brands International.
Burger King
Trader Joe’s
When it comes to convenience stores, there is no that there has always been fierce competition. This statement is more evident in areas that are heavily populated. A man named Joe Coulombe began to stock food items that were rare and not common to appease customers to ditch 7-11 and go to his store in Monrovia California instead. Despite the company becoming a big name, he sold the company in 1979. Trader Joe’s is now owned by the same man who owns a huge supermarket chain from Germany called Aldi Nord named Theo Albrecht, who is known to have a net worth of $16 billion.
Trader Joe’s
Lucky Strike
The Lucky Strike brand, which is also known as Luckies is probably the most popular American cigarette brand there is. People from the ‘30s and ‘40s smoked a lot of their product thanks to their solid marketing plan. Therefore, the company became the best-selling cigarette brand back then. The company partnered with a company named British American Tobacco in 1976. In 1994, the UK company purchased the American Tobacco Company and its subsidiaries, Lucky Strike and Pall Mall. Despite going through numerous changes, the company is still considered to be an American brand thanks to its pop-culture presence.
Lucky Strike
American Apparel
A lot of people have attracted to the American Apparel brand thanks to their Made in the USA – Sweatshop-free” slogan. It was a great idea to make ethical shoppers support the LA-based brand. The company had been doing well on its feet until 2015, wherein they struggled to be back on track. Canadian company Gildan Activewear later bought the rights to the name and manufacturing equipment for $88 million in 2017. Had this not happened, American Apparel might not be around anymore.
American Apparel
7-Eleven
All the great companies that everyone knows of all started with a single person with a dream. This was also the case for 7-Eleven. In 1927, Jefferson Green had been a regular guy working at Southland Ice when he decided to improve his range of products. He started to offer bread, eggs, and milk as well. This proved to be an effective business model as his Dallas-based business continued to grow once more after renaming the company 7-Eleven. Decades later, the company is now a staple in American culture and the whole world. The company had a setback due to the 1987 financial crash, but the Japanese company “Ito-Yokado” saved the day for them.
7 Eleven
Sunglass Hut
A lot of American eyewear enthusiasts believe that the best place to shop would be at Sunglass Hut. They offer a wide variety of glasses from tinted shades to clear glasses! The company is known to have a strong presence in South Africa, India, the United Kingdom, and more despite starting in Miami, Florida from an optometrist named Sanford Ziff in 1986. The company was sold in 2001, five years after the company launched its 100th location in 1986. At the time, the Luxottica group bought the company for $653 million when they had more than 1,300 stores. The company currently has around 2,000 stores worldwide.
Sunglass Hut
Ironman
The Ironman competition started as a part of the Hawaii Triathlon Corporation. Dr. James P. Gills bought it for $3 million in 1990. Since then, it became significantly more prominent than it had been on its start. Providence Equity Securities later purchased the company for $85 million in 2008. And in 2015, the Dalian Wanda Group bought it for $650 million. The Chinese company had to take care of the previous owner’s debt, but it did not matter as the company saw a 40% yearly net growth.
Ironman
Dirt Devil
For over a century, Dirt Devil vacuum cleaners have helped American homes stay clean. Philip Geier invented the product in Cleveland, Ohio in 1905. The company’s product range has grown with more than 25 million units sold, which can be accredited to the unique Cyclone system. Despite their headquarters being based in North Carolina, the company is currently owned by a Chinese company called Techtronic Industries. The same company also bought Hoover years ago.
Dirt Devil
Good Humor
Good Humor ice cream has a special place in the heart of Baby Boomers. The company has been around for over a century now and is famous for its ice cream trucks. The company was launched in Ohio in the ‘20s. Forty years later, Thomas J. Lipton of Unilever bought the company in 1961. Despite Lipton operating the United States Division of the British-Dutch company, there is no denying that things have only gone better for Good Humor.
Good Humor
Popsicle
The recipe for the popsicle was created by an 11-year old boy from Oakland, California after he forgot his drink outside with a stick in it for an entire night. After retrieving it the following day, he found his glass to be frozen solid. As the boy grew up, he introduced the concept to the world, and it became an instant hit! He later regrets his decision of selling the rights to Joe Lowe in 1925, saying that he has not been the same since. In 1989, the company was purchased by its former rival company, Good Humor.
Popsicle
Purina
Purina started in 1894 when George Robinson, William H. Danforth, and William Andrews began to feed farm animals, and they were unaware that what they were doing would make them very rich. Despite Nestle being more known for its food items than their pet products, the Swiss company bought Purina for $10.3 billion in December of 2011. The decision was made due to the conclusion of merging Purina and Friskies Petcare. Purina is not only a household staple in the United States but the whole world as well.
Purina
Firestone
The tire brand Firestone had the opportunity to merge with the Italian company named Pirelli. However, the deal did not sit well with Firestone, which is why they decided to sell to a Japanese company called Bridgestone Corp for $2.6 million. Firestone’s decision to be bought by the Tokyo-based corporation proved to be an excellent choice as they went on to become the second-biggest tire manufacturer in the country. According to a Firestone representative, “The Bridgestone offer achieves our objective of enhancing shareholder values and will add materially to the employment security and career opportunities available to the men and women employed by Firestone’s existing businesses.”
Firestone
Gerber
In 2007, Nestle announced its plan of acquiring Gerber Products Company for $5.5 billion. This was a right decision by Nestle for this meant that they would be the biggest manufacturer in the baby food sector. The baby food retailer started in the industry in 1927 when Daniel Frank Gerber’s wife made food for their baby. Daniel thought that it would be a good idea to sell the food as a product, and since then, the company has gone a long way since its humble beginnings in New Jersey.
Gerber
Citgo
Citgo became a huge marketer and refiner for fuels ever since it was founded in Oklahoma back in 1910. In 1986, a Venezuelan company called Petróleos de Venezuela bought half of the company and eventually became Citgo’s parent company. Things have not been going well however has Citgo’s President, Hugo Chavez, told the world that he wanted to let go of Citgo as it is a “bad business” that resulted in falling profits. In 2013, the South American nation was going through an economic depression, resulted in Citgo being offered as debt collateral to Russia.
Citgo
IBM (PC Division)
Ever since the company was founded, IBM has helped the United States to stay on top when it comes to technology. During those days, they were more involved with business machines than computers. In 2004, Lenovo bought IBM’s PC division for $1.75 billion. According to Chuanzhi Liu, Lenovo’s CEO at the time, “As Lenovo’s founder, I am excited by this breakthrough in Lenovo’s journey towards becoming an international company.” While IBM’s CEO Sam Palmisano shared his thoughts by saying “Today’s announcement further strengthens IBM’s ability to capture the highest-value opportunities in a rapidly changing information technology industry.”
IBM (PC Division)
Legendary Entertainment Group
After the Dalian Wanda Group saw immense success in the movie industry due to their acquisition of AMC, they decided to go all out by buying a movie studio in 2016. The company sold its ownership to the Dalian Wanda Group for $3.5 billion. The Chinese company initially planned to absorb the group into its existing portfolio, but a decision was made to let it operate as it was. Ever since their acquisition, LEG has produced movies like Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Pacific Rim: Uprising, Kong: Skull Island, Skyscraper, etc.
Legendary Entertainment Group
Hoover US
Ever since the company’s opening in 1908, Hoover becomes known as a trusted American appliance brand. Named after founder William Henry Hoover, the company is known worldwide as an iconic brand. Despite everything being local for a long time, Techtronic Industries later bought the company for $107 million in 2006. Their headquarters may be based in North Carolina, but their central office is now in Hong Kong. The Chinese company currently has a staff consisting of more than 30,000 members and yearly sales of $7.7billlion
Hoover US
Frigidaire
First known as the Guardian Frigerator Company, Frigidaire has its beginnings in Indiana way back in 1918. Though the idea came from Alfred Mellowes and Nathaniel B. Wales, they did not have the funds to start up the company, which is why through the help of William C. Durant of General Motors, the duo made it possible to reach where it is now thanks to Durant’s investment. The company was under the White Sewing Machine Company during 1979 but was later bought by Electrolux in 1986.
Frigidaire
Strategic Hotels And Resorts
The famous hotel chain currently has 17 luxury hotels across the United States and one in Germany. The company first started in 1997 thanks to real estate investor and philanthropist by the name of Laurence S. Geller. In 2016, a Chinese company named Anbang Insurance Group was looking to buy the company for $6.5 million. The deal ended up with the Chinese group buying the hotel chain for $5.5 million instead.
Strategic Hotels And Resorts
Alka-Seltzer
Alka-Seltzer is known to be one of the oldest branded medicines in the world. Dr. Miles Medicine Company (now known as Miles Laboratory), started to sell pain relief and antacid drinks way back in 1931. While the company has been American for a long time, a German company called Bayer but Alka-Seltzer in 1978. Bayer has a reputation for sticking around the biggest pharmaceutical companies around the globe. In 2004, they also made a deal with GlaxoSmithKline to improve the sales of Levitra with the use of the “Strike Up A Conversation” tag line.
Alka-Seltzer
The Chrysler Building
Known as one of the most iconic structures in the New York skyline, a lot of people were surprised at the storey ran by The Wall Street Journal about the sale of the Chrysler Building in 2019. However, the building has not been in American hands for quite some time now. The Abu Dhabi Investment Council bought most of the ownership for $800 million in 2008. It was later bought by an Austrian company called SIGNA for $150 million a decade after that.
The Chrysler Building
General Motors
Are you aware that General Motors is the largest automobile manufacturer in the United States? Being one of the largest companies in the industry in the whole world, the company proves to be an appealing and profitable business. Even though it is not completely owned by Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp, the company heavily relies on the Chinese company to keep sales from happening. The two companies started their partnership back in 1998.
General Motors
Spotify
In our modern age, it is difficult to imagine an era when we could not listen to any song that we like with just a click of a button. Thankfully, Spotify made this possible. The New York-based company started in 2006 and was known to provide listeners with the ability to stream music wherever they want. Despite its Swedish origins, the company has made its way into different countries since then. In 2017, Spotify and Tencent Holdings both purchased 10% in each other, which helped Spotify enter the Chinese market. Before their partnership, Spotify struggled to make it into China.
Spotify
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel is a great choice if you are looking for luxury accommodation. Not only is it a known institution in the United States, but it is also a part of the United State’s history. Though Hilton Worldwide manages the hotel, it was bought for $1.95 billion in 2014 by the Anbang Insurance Group. The massive price on its purchase turned the hotel to be the most expensive hotel in history. The insurance company is also known to be interested in buying even more American businesses, and Starwood Resorts is one of those.
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Tesla
Elon Musk is known to be the brains behind Tesla and is also the majority shareholder of the California-based company with his 21.7% stake. Besides him, the company also has other shareholders such as Tencent Holdings Ltd. As it turns out, the Chinese company is not only interested in music, but in a wide variety of things as well. Tencent also happens to be the largest video game company in the world, boasting a $95.8 billion net income in 2019.
Tesla
Snapchat
There would not be a trend of using a wide variety of silly filters on our photos nowadays if it wasn’t because of Snapchat. Bobby Murphy and Evan Spiegel launched the app in 2011, unaware of how massive the app will be. As of the moment, Snapchat is known to be worth more than $20 billion. And just like any other company, Tencent also reached out for Snapchat. The tech giant paid more than $2 billion to get a 10% stake in Snapchat in hopes of getting a return. Tencent also helped Snapchat in developing augmented reality features thanks to their expertise in technology.
Snapchat
Ingram Micro
Ingram Micro had its start as a small tech product distributor in 1979. Because of this, it later grew into a billion-dollar company. Ingram Micro was able to take over a Belgium company called Softinvest in the early ‘90s, which gave Ingram the chance to distribute HP products and have an even bigger foothold in the market. A Chinese company called Tianjin Tianhai later bought Ingram Micro for $6 billion in 2016, which gave Ingram an even bigger international presence.
Ingram Micro
Fidelity & Guaranty Life
Founded in Des Moines, Illinois back in 1959, Fidelity and Guaranty Life Insurance Company helped secure the futures of millions of people. Despite that, the company’s future has not been safe at all. Harbinger Group initially owned it, but the parent company opened it up to the public in 2013. Anbang Insurance group later bought F&G for $1.7 billion. It seemed like everything was doing alright until the Chinese company turned down the deal at the last minute. After a sudden change of plans, CF Corp bought the company for $1.8 billion in 2017.
Fidelity & Guaranty Life
Universal Music Group
Having a deal with Universal Music Group is a dream come true for a lot of musicians that are starting. It is hailed as one of the “Big Three” the music industry alongside Warner Music Group and Sony Music. UMG has been in the industry for about a century now and has helped cultivate the talents of various musicians. However, it is no longer an American company as a French company called Vivendi held the majority stake in UMG for more than a decade, but eventually made a deal with Tencent in 2020. Tencent paid $33.4 billion to get a 10% share in the record company.
Universal Music Group
WeWork
Over the past few years, the rise of shared workspaces has become more visible to everyone because of how the setup is attractive to freelancers and startups. WeWork took advantage of this during its launch a decade ago. The company had a rough time in 2016 and needed more capital. The Beijing-based company called Legend Holdings Corp. came in and poured over $430 million into the company. John Zhao of Legend Holdings Corp. stated: “Our investment in WeWork is both strategic and obvious.”
WeWork
Segway Inc
People back then believed that whizzing around on two wheels is something that can only be seen from sci-fi films. Segway Inc. however, proved that it is possible in real life as well! In 2015, Beijing-based company named Ninebot bought the transportation company for $80 million. Ever since Ninebot acquired them, things have gone smoothly for Segway. The company announced that it was planning to move their production from New Hampshire to China in 2018, but eventually took back the statement and said that majority of production would stay at Bedford.
Segway Inc
John Hancock Life Insurance
A lot of different products are sold under the John Hancock Financial Opportunities Label. The company is best known for their life insurance policies and has been in operation ever since its opening in Boston in 1862. However, A Canadian company called Manulife Financial acquired the company in 2004. Instead of absorbing the John Hancock brand, they chose to keep its original name. Manulife Financial is based in Toronto, employs more than 34,000 staff members, and has 63,000 agents working for the brand
John Hancock Life Insurance
Sotheby’s
It might come off as a surprise to find out that a Chinese life insurance company is interested in a luxury art broker. Sotheby’s first started in London way back in 1744. They eventually opened a shop in New York City before opening more locations all around the world. It was announced in 2016 that a Chinese company named Taikang Life Insurance Co. Ltd. would be the new majority shareholder of Sotheby’s. A French-Israeli businessman named Patrick Drahi later bought Sotheby’s in 2019.
Sotheby’s
The Barclays Center
The iconic Barclays Center is familiar with both sports and music fans alike. A Taiwanese-Candian businessman named Joseph Tsai bought the legendary venue in 2019. Besides this, the Alibaba Group chairman also purchased the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA. Tsai stated. “With full ownership of the Nets and Barclays Center, we will continue to bring our exciting brand of basketball to our fans” and went on to say: “We’ve made a strong commitment to Brooklyn and it will be a privilege to present the best of Barclays Center with its great entertainment to our community”.
The Barclays Center
Brookstone Inc
During the mid-60s, Brookstone Inc. started as a mail-order business that sold special and rare tools. After quite some time, the company started selling more products like alarm clocks, remote control toys, etc. The company had 34 locations all around the United States by 2018. However, the company was in a wrong spot and filed for bankruptcy in 2014. They were saved by the Chinese company called Sanpower and Sailing Capital by purchasing them for $173 million, and they were able to come out of bankruptcy in July of 2014.
Brookstone Inc
Dairy Farmers of America Inc
With the name having America on it, it is quite hard to imagine that the Dairy Farmers of America is actually affiliated with China. Though it might seem unthinkable, that just happens to be the case. In 2014, Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group teamed up with DFA to make milk powder in a new processing plant and happened around the time when china was not able to produce milk due to a drought in New Zealand, which means that China’s milk supply has been cut off. In an effort to remedy the situation, the Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group partnered with DFA.
Dairy Farmers Of America Inc
Fab.com Inc
Various businesses in the online design industry has a lot of competition. Fab.com Inc is formerly based in New York and has later secured a large investment around a billion dollars from Tencent Holdings. According to Fab, they hope to be able to break through the Asian Market as “It’s a way to enter markets through strategic partners who can help mitigate risk and will increase the likelihood of success,” according to CEO Jason Goldberg. A company later purchased the company in 2015 and has since rebranded into a wellness brand specializing in yoga gear.
Fab.com Inc
The Cleveland Cavaliers
The famous NBA team entered the league in 1970 thanks to the help of different sponsors. The Cleveland Cavalier kept growing as the years went by. In 2019, the NBA team started to receive overseas investors as well. They teamed up with Jianhua, a Chinese businessman who previously partnered with the New York Yankees and other American Sports team. According to reports, he has purchased a 15% stake in the NBA team. This also explains Lebron James’ large following in China.
The Cleveland Cavaliers
Riot Games Inc
Anyone who has heard or played the famous game called League of Legends is undoubtedly familiar with Riot Games. Released in 2009, the game grew a large following and is known to be the company’s best product. Despite working Tencent for quite some time already, their partnership reached their peak in 2015 after the Chinese company bought the rest of the stakes and turned into Riot Games’ parent company. Riot Games is said to be worth around $6 billion.
Riot Games Inc
Uber Technologies Inc
Life today is tough to imagine without Uber. This app helps users catch a ride with the click of a button. The idea was brought up by Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp in 2009, and it has come a long way ever since its conception. Now a multi-billion-dollar company, Uber is not only a household name in the United States but also various parts of the globe! In 2014, a Chinese internet company called Baidu Inc. invested $600 million to help Uber expand into China, which gladly worked out.
Uber Technologies Inc
OmniVision Technologies Inc
OmniVision Technologies Inc. and Will Semiconductor Co. Ltd entered a partnership so quietly that the public did not hear about it until an entire year later. The two companies had already made transactions worth $2.1 billion by the time that the story broke out. Since their business was so secretive, a lot of details around the sale are relatively unknown. However, it is known that OmniVision was approaching different Chinese investors in 2015, which was around the time when Chinese companies teamed up to buy the California-based company for $1.9 billion.
OmniVision Technologies Inc
Baby Trend Inc
The baby product company offers everything from car seats to highchairs and diaper pails. Founded in Fontana, California, the company kept growing over the years, especially after Alpha Group, a Chinese company, purchased it. According to Alpha Group’s Vice President Wang Jing: “We are excited to offer safe, educational, and entertaining solutions to infants and their caregivers around the world”. He also stated: “Acquiring Baby Trend will allow us to bring our innovative technology and outstanding intellectual properties into a whole new category while showcasing our existing expertise in the baby and infant market globally.”
Baby Trend Inc
Hellman’s
You may know the company for their mayonnaise, there is a good chance that you might even have a jar of Hellmann’s in your fridge right now! In 1905, Richard Hellmann made his recipe by bringing the French condiment to the American market with his twist. His customers liked the product so much that he sold them on its own. Best Foods bought the business in 1932 and kept it alive for 70 years. Unilever bought Hellmann’s in the year 2000 for $20.3 billion.
Hellman’s
Motorola
Best known for its tech products, Motorola started in Schaumburg, Illinois, way before the concept of mobile phones were even introduced. After they launched in 1928, the company had steady growth, eventually reaching its peak of success thanks to flip phones. Google finally bought the company and later sold it to the Chinese company named Lenovo in 2014. This proved to be an unwise decision by google as they purchased the company for $12 billion and sold it for $2.9 billion.
Motorola
Forbes
Forbes introduced their first issue in September of 1917. The trusted magazine has since then released actual rankings of celebrities and companies. We can be sure that almost everyone has heard of their popular lists such as the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women and 30 Under 30. Despite people assuming that Forbes is an American Publication, it is owned by a Hong Kong-based company called Integrated Whale Media Investments. They purchased Forbes for $400 million in 2014.
Forbes