“You have to earn it every day. You’re not entitled to anything.”—Carlos Brito, the Brazilian CEO of InBev NV , the Belgium-based brewing giant that has made a $46.35 billion unsolicited bid for Anheuser-Busch .
Given the A-B culture, proud but insular, I’m not surprised that the Busch family now finds itself over a barrel—targeted by a fast-growing international rival. August Busch III opposed aggressive global expansion during his 27-year tenure as CEO. In fact, he put so much faith in his leading brand, Budweiser that he’s paying for it. Son August IV, who is 43 years old and now chief, may pay even more dearly. I just reread a profile of August IV that I wrote a decade ago. What a life this guy has led—forever struggling to prove himself to his stern father. Now with the InBev bid, the Fourth, as he’s known, is under the gun to save the family dynasty.
