Bill Gates Acquires Heineken Shares Worth Over 1 Trillion Won

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] Microsoft (MS) founder Bill Gates has acquired shares in Heineken, the world's second-largest Dutch beer company.

According to the Dutch financial authority (AFM) on the 22nd (local time), Gates disclosed that he purchased 10.83 million shares (3.8% stake) of Heineken Holding, the holding company of Heineken, on the 17th.

Gates bought 6.65 million shares in a personal capacity and acquired 4.18 million shares through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which he established with his ex-wife Melinda. The total purchase price amounted to $920 million (approximately 1.1753 trillion KRW) based on the closing price on the 17th.

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

On the same day, Mexican conglomerate FEMSA sold all 18 million shares of Heineken Holding, and Bloomberg reported that Gates appears to have purchased some of the shares sold that day.

Gates had previously invested in the Dutch online supermarket Picnic and holds a 1.3% stake in OCI, a fertilizer manufacturer listed on the Dutch stock exchange, continuing his investments in Dutch companies.

However, the reason behind Gates' acquisition of Heineken shares has not been disclosed. In 2018, Gates reportedly said in Reddit's "Ask Me Anything" section that he "does not enjoy drinking beer."

At that time, he mentioned, "When I go to places like baseball stadiums, I drink lightly just to match the atmosphere with others," apologizing to those who enjoy beer.

The Gates Foundation also did not comment on the share acquisition. However, Gates had previously purchased FEMSA shares worth $392 million (approximately 510.7 billion KRW) in 2007. In August 2021, during his divorce from Melinda, he transferred 25.8 million FEMSA shares for property division.