Brazilian portfolio companies: They’re what you’re having for dinner

A vendor sells meat in Sao Paulo.
A vendor sells meat in Sao Paulo.
Image: Reuters/Nacho Doce
By
We may earn a commission from links on this page.

The biggest news in business right now is the merger giant food companies Kraft and Heinz, first reported Tuesday by the Wall Street Journal (paywall) and formally announced this morning. And a major component of that story is the Brazilian financial company behind it: 3G Capital. The company now owns the fifth-largest food company in the world, and it has shown once again how entrenched Brazilian investors are in meals around the world.

Nevermind 3G’s ownership of Burger King (I’ll take the Whopper with ketchup-flavored cheese, thanks), 3G co-founder Jorge Paulo Lemann also also has a controlling stake in AB InBev, the world’s largest beer brewer. And JBS, a huge Brazilian meat producer, is controlled by the Batista family, no relation to controversial Brazilian investor Eike Batista.