The Creator of Red Bull Has Died

On the eve of the Red Bull Stratos, a project that will send an extreme athlete to free-fall from the edge of space, Red Bull is mourning the death of it’s reclusive creator, Chaleo Yoovidhya. Here are some interesting facts about the man who introduced the world to “energy drinks” and his company Red Bull:

• Mr Chaleo rose from humble origins to become one of Thailand’s richest men, with a wealth estimated at $5 billion last year.
• His pharmaceutical company produced a tonic drink called Krating Daeng in the 1970s, but it became popular worldwide in the next decade when he went into partnership with an Austrian entrepreneur.
• Chaleo had not given a media interview or made any public appearances for 30 years
• In Thai daeng means red, and krating is the reddish brown bovine
• Red Bull is the most popular energy drink in the world, with 3 billion cans sold each year
• Thailand and in some parts of Asia it is sold in a wider gold can with the name of Krating Daeng or Red Bull Classic

• The product was launched in 1987 in Austria, in a carbonated format.
• It entered the United States market (via California) in 1997
• Reggie Bush was the first athlete of the four major American sports to endorse the product

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