Dietrich Mateschitz
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Dietrich Mateschitz (born May 20, 1944 in St. Marein im Mürztal, Styria) is an Austrian (Burgenland Croat) businessman and billionaire. He holds 49 percent of shares in the energy drink producer Red Bull.
After graduating from the Hochschule für Welthandel (now Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration), Dietrich Mateschitz worked, among other things, for the marketing of Procter & Gamble's Blendax tooth paste. In 1987, he founded Red Bull GmbH with his Thai partners Chaleo and Chalerm Yoovidhya. Subsequently, he turned the Red Bull drink into the world market leader among energy drinks. Beside the crystal group Swarovski, the candy producer Manner, and the lingerie company Palmers, Red Bull is Austria's only consumer brand with a worldwide reputation.
Mateschitz is known as a marketing specialist. His company is famous for its creative advertising and as a sponsor for many types of extreme sports. In 2004, Mateschitz bought the Formula 1 team Jaguar Racing from the Ford Motor Company. It was subsequently renamed to Red Bull Racing. Then, at the end of 2005, Mateschitz joined forces with Austrian former F1 driver Gerhard Berger, and purchased the Italian-registered Minardi team from Australian Paul Stoddart. The plan was to keep the team registered at the Minardi plant in Faenza, but to change the name to Squadra Toro Rosso. This is Italian for Team Red Bull, but the word Squadra was seen to be more a footballing term, and so the team was instead called Scuderia Toro Rosso, mimicking the famous Italian giants Scuderia Ferrari.
Mateschitz plans to set up a testing site for the automobile industry at the A1-Ring. There are already very far developed plans, but residents of the area object. He also plans to create an Avionautik Akademie in Zeltweg jointly with the Austrian Army. A very fit-looking 60-year-old bachelor, he has his own hangar, where he keeps his collection of old planes, including a DC-6 which once belonged to Marshal Tito. He also sponsors the World Stunt Awards, an annual fundraiser to benefit his Taurus Foundation, which helps injured stunt professionals.
In April 2005 he bought the Austrian football club SV Austria Salzburg and in March 2006 he bought the American soccer club MetroStars; both clubs were subsequently (and somewhat controversially) renamed for his famous drink, as Red Bull Salzburg and Red Bull New York, respectively.
