Carbonated soft drinks are extremely popular all around the world, and there are two extremely famous of these that sell billions each year.
These two drinks, Coca-Cola and Pepsi, are rivals, and the brands that own these drinks also have many other soft drinks under their manufacturing rights. Considering that Pepsi is a trendy drink, you might wonder who owns it.
You have to be aware that Pepsi is not a brand, but it’s the name of the drink. There is a company behind this drink that manufactures it.
Let’s take a look at who owns Pepsi and other details about Pepsi.
Who Owns Pepsi?
Pepsi, on its own, is not a company. It’s a drink that is owned by PepsiCo.
The holding company also owns many different beverage and food brands, and PepsiCo is a public company that is actively traded in the market.
This means that PepsiCo owns Pepsi directly, but individual and institutional investors who own PepsiCo also own Pepsi indirectly.
| Stockholder | Type | % of Shares | No. of Shares | Total Worth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | Institutional | 9.10% | 125,315,306 | $23,210,900,977 |
| BlackRock Fund Advisors | Institutional | 4.98% | 68,582,334 | $12,702,819,903 |
| SSgA Funds Management, Inc. | Institutional | 4.25% | 58,566,663 | $10,847,717,321 |
| Geode Capital Management LLC | Institutional | 1.90% | 26,126,523 | $4,839,154,590 |
| Charles Swab Investment Management | Institutional | 1.30% | 17,880,236 | $3,311,777,312 |
| Northern Trust Investments | Institutional | 1.10% | 15,185,089 | $2,812,582,185 |
| Robert C. Pohlad | Individual | Not available to the public | Not available to the public | Not available to the public |
| Ramon L. Laguarta | Individual | Not available to the public | Not available to the public | Not available to the public |
As you can see, primarily institutional financial management companies own PepsiCo.
There are some individuals who still own the brand, but they are not the majority, and their exact position and stake are not available to the public.
But the top individuals who own PepsiCo are insiders. For example, Robert C. Pohlad is a board member, and Ramon L. Laguarta is the company’s current CEO.
Pepsi History
Pepsi’s first invention goes back to 1893, and its name was “Brad’s Drink”, when Caleb Bradham first invented it.
He was selling this drink in his own drugstore. Later in 1898, Bradham renamed the drink to Pepsi-Cola and moved its production to a warehouse from his drugstore in 1903.
The drink got popular every year, and its sales increased to 19,848 gallons a year in 1909.
During World War I, due to the increase in the sugar price, the company went bankrupt, and Bradham sold all the assets of the company to Roy C. Megargel.
Over the years, Pepsi-Cola went through a lot of different manufacturers only to end up with PepsiCo.
It’s a brand that was created after the merger of Pepsi-Cola Company and Frito-Lay, Inc.
The drink got the name Pepsi in 1961 in an effort to rebrand, and it’s been the same ever since. Now, they are competing with Coca-Cola in the world.
What is PepsiCo?
PepsiCo is one of the world’s biggest multinational American food, snack, and beverage corporation with their headquarters in New York.
The company was first famous for its namesake product Pepsi when they were first incorporated, but it quickly diversified its product line.
They now manufacture, distribute, and market various food and beverages across the world.
As of 2021, PepsiCo had 23 different brands under its management, bringing in over $1 billion in sales annually.
They operate across 200 countries and have a total annual net revenue of over $70 billion. The drink Pepsi still stands to be its most popular product of the brand.
Who is Caleb Bradham?
Caleb Bardham was an American pharmacist. He is most famous for his invention of the soft drink Pepsi. He invented Pepsi in his drug store, Bradham Drug Store Company.
After going through some changes to the name after he first manufactured it, he established his own company, Pepsi-Cola Company.
He was the president of the company up until the company went bankrupt. He sold the assets of Pepsi-Cola Company to Craven Holding Company and went back to operating his own drug store.
How Much is Pepsi Worth?
The Pepsi brand, on its own, is worth approximately $20 billion. This number is actually hard to find out because PepsiCo owns Pepsi, and they own tens of different drinks on the market.
The total worth of PepsiCo, which manufactures all the drinks and foods they sell, including Pepsi, is $262.8 billion.
Conclusion
Pepsi is one of the most famous soft drinks in the world, competing with Coca-Cola since it was first invented by Caleb Bradham in 1893.
Since its invention, the drink went through a lot of name and manufacturer changes, but now the brand PepsiCo is the manufacturer of this drink.
PepsiCo is a multinational company that manufactures tens of different drinks worldwide.
The sole owner of the Pepsi drink is PepsiCo, but PepsiCo is a public company. This means that anyone can own a share of PepsiCo.
The majority owners of PepsiCo are generally institutional investors like Vanguard, Blackrock, and many others.
FAQ
Is Pepsi a company?
Pepsi itself is the drink’s name. It’s not a company. PepsiCo is the brand that manufactures, sells, and markets the drink.
They have the right to the Pepsi brand alone. No one else can manufacture Pepsi without their approval.
Does one person own Pepsi?
Pepsi is owned by PepsiCo, and PepsiCo is a public company that anyone can buy on the stock market. Technically, Pepsi is owned by one entity which is PepsiCo.
Can I buy a part of the Pepsi brand?
You can buy a piece of PepsiCo that manufactures the drink. You can buy the brand through the stock exchange it is being traded-in.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepsi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PepsiCo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caleb_Bradham
https://www.pepsico.com/who-we-are/about-pepsico
https://money.cnn.com/quote/shareholders/shareholders.html?symb=PEP&subView=institutional
Amit Gupta is an experienced expert in digital marketing and co-founder of DrFranchises. With more than 11 years of knowledge in franchise digital marketing, SEO, email marketing, and social media marketing, Amit has helped many brands achieve incredible success online. As a passionate entrepreneur and owner of 7 franchises, he continues to study franchise models, looking at costs, revenue, and profitability to guide brands toward profitable growth. When he’s not working on digital marketing, Amit enjoys spending time playing with his beloved dog.