Whether you're the type that can't imagine a trip to the grocery store or gas station without grabbing an energy drink or if you rely on them only for an occassional emergence pick-me-up, you're familiar with the distinct taste of Red Bull. It's gone from being the drink of choice for truck drivers in Thailand to a global phenomenon, and you might be surprised at some of the things about the drink — and its creators — that you've never heard.
Its inventor was from incredibly humble beginnings
Red Bull is pretty much everywhere today, which makes it easy to forget that it definitely hasn't been around forever, and its invention is actually an unlikely story.
The original Red Bull is called Krating Daeng, and it was created by an entrepreneur in Thailand. Chaleo Yoovidhya created the energy-imbuing blend in 1976, and it took the top spot among the country's energy drinks within two years. As the saying goes, timing is everything, and Chaleo's creation came when there was a surge in people who were trying to stay awake and productive. The economy was facing a nationwide industrialization, and its citizens needed something to help them make the transition from rural lifestyle to urban jobs — especially blue-collar ones. Truck drivers were among the first targeted by the brand, and its popularity skyrocketed.
Part of his success hinged on the idea that he wasn't just selling a product, he was building a brand. He also knew exactly where his clients were coming from, too, as he'd been there. Chaleo was born in 1923 to a family of Chinese immigrants who had moved to Thailand, and he counted things like duck farming among his early occupations. He founded his own company — TC Pharma — in 1956. It took almost another two decades before he started an energy drink revolution.
Thai billionaire Chaleo Yoovidhya, who created the renowned Red Bull energy drink three decades ago, died of natural causes at the age of 89 on March 17, 2012
With a caffeine-filled concoction originally targeted at Thailand's rough-hewn working class, Chaleo Yoovidhya, who died of natural causes in a Bangkok hospital at age 89 on Saturday, created something most Thai entrepreneurs only dream about: a global brand.
Chaleo's Red Bull beverage is widely regarded as the first energy drink to win over consumers from Asia to the West after it began international marketing and distribution during the mid-1980s. Its success turned Chaleo into a multibillionaire, Thailand's third richest person at the time of his death with a fortune estimated at $5 billion. His business empire included a pharmaceutical company, a hospital chain, a winery in Thailand and two international soccer teams: the New York Red Bulls and the Red Bulls Salzburg in Austria.
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