Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz, who made the power drink a world phenomenon and cast a title-winning Formula One staff and a sports activities empire, died on Saturday aged 78, the corporate mentioned.
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Red Bull expressed each its “sadness” on the Austrian billionaire’s loss of life and “gratitude for what he accomplished”.
Mateschitz, a reclusive man who hardly ever gave interviews, took a candy drink that was already common in Asia and tailored it for the Western market with big success.
He was named as Austria’s richest individual by Forbes in 2022 with an estimated internet price of $27.4 billion.
Mateschitz invested closely in sport to provide his model international publicity.
Besides its involvement in Formula One – the staff’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen is the world champion for the second consecutive 12 months – Red Bull purchased the soccer membership of the Austrian metropolis of Salzburg in 2005, then Leipzig in Germany.
Both golf equipment have loved trophy-winning success because of the model’s substantial funding.
Dietrich Mateschitz’s loss of life ‘very, very sad’
Red Bull have additionally branched out into excessive sports activities, sponsoring occasions equivalent to air acrobatics and cliff diving.
The head of the Red Bull Formula One staff, Christian Horner, mentioned “thankfully” Mateschitz lived to see Verstappen clinch his second title by successful the Japanese Grand Prix two weeks in the past.
Horner described Mateschitz because the “backbone of all we do”.
“It is very, very sad,” mentioned Horner, talking on the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.
“A great man, one of few of a kind, for what he achieved and he has done for many people around the world and across so many sports.”
Horner advised Sky Sports F1 that Mateschitz “proved you can make a difference. He was a passionate supporter and the backbone of all we do. A remarkable man and inspirational individual.”
‘Visionary entrepreneur’
Formula One chief government Stefano Domenicali described Mateschitz as “a hugely respected and much-loved member of the Formula One family”.
The Italian mentioned: “He was an incredible visionary entrepreneur and a man who helped to transform our sport and created the Red Bull brand that is known all around the world.”
Dietrich Mateschitz’s legacy, the Red Bull power drink, was born throughout considered one of his many enterprise journeys as advertising and marketing director of a German cosmetics firm when he was served a candy beverage widespread in Asia in a luxurious bar in Hong Kong.
He was instantly keen on it and was impressed by the drink’s obvious means to assist him overcome his jet lag.
He determined to accomplice with the beverage’s developer Thai businessman Chaleo Yoovidhya and the 2 males based Red Bull in 1984.
Based in Fuschl-am-See, the drink slowly however certainly received over Western style buds and the model developed globally because of intelligent advertising and marketing and the tie-ins with sport.
Red Bull entered F1 by taking a 60 p.c share within the Swiss-based Sauber staff, earlier than the 2 parted firm following a row over the selection of drivers.
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Three years later, Red Bull purchased the failing Jaguar staff from proprietor Ford and rebranded it.
It quickly developed into a number one power, turning into the quickest staff in F1 by 2009.
Red Bull received their first drivers’ and constructors’ titles with German driver Sebastian Vettel on the wheel in 2010.
By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse
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