1 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:02,920 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Tutor Dixon Podcast. 2 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:06,800 Speaker 2: Today we are going to unpack everything Anheuser Busch. I 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:11,000 Speaker 2: know everyone has talked about the Bush family and what's 4 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 2: happened over the past, like with the transition of the 5 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 2: company and bud Light and all of this, but we 6 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 2: have Billy Bush with us here today and he is 7 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 2: one of the heirs too the iconic Anheuser Busch empire 8 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 2: and the founder of the Bush Family Brewing and Distilling Company. 9 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 2: And he also wrote the book Family Rains, The Extraordinary 10 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:33,000 Speaker 2: Rise and Epic Fall of an American Dynasty. 11 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: Billy, thank you so much for being here. 12 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 3: It's a pleasure, and thank you for having me on Tudor. 13 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 2: Oh my gosh, I'm so excited because we were just 14 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 2: talking about how this is really just a part of 15 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:47,559 Speaker 2: American history. Every kid remembers their parents cracking open a 16 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:51,560 Speaker 2: beer watching football, and we all remember the Clydesdale commercials, 17 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 2: And honestly, that was one of the things that I 18 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 2: think after the whole bud Light debacle with the Dylan 19 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 2: mulvaney po more like, bring back the Clydesdales. 20 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:06,039 Speaker 1: And you're saying that we will be seeing them more, Well, I. 21 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 3: Just saw on a commercial the other day that the 22 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:12,040 Speaker 3: Clydesdales will be back at the Super Bowl again this 23 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:17,320 Speaker 3: year advertising the beer probably Budweiser and Bud Light. And yeah, 24 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 3: I mean that it's been an iconic advertisement for many, 25 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:25,120 Speaker 3: many years now. It's won the Best Commercial in the 26 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 3: super Bowl several times over the past several years. And 27 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 3: the Clyde Hills are just something that have become an 28 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:36,399 Speaker 3: image for people in America that they really know, they understand. 29 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 3: It's the strength, it's quality, it's very American, and it's 30 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 3: a great brand that my family started, you know, way 31 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 3: back when in the eighteen hundreds. So yeah, to keep 32 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 3: that going I think is incredible. 33 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 1: Absolutely. 34 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 2: So they travel around the country and every couple of 35 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 2: years they come directly to my town, about probably three 36 00:01:57,440 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 2: miles down the street from where I am right now, 37 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 2: and I've seen them twice now. They're majestic creatures. I mean, 38 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 2: it is truly magical. But for you, I mean, you're 39 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:10,840 Speaker 2: a professional polo player, You've been around horses your whole life. 40 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 2: You've had an obviously very interesting life coming from a 41 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 2: family that is so iconic, that has made so much money, 42 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:22,360 Speaker 2: had this massive brand, you had a childhood where you 43 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 2: lived on a farm, but you had some pretty interesting 44 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 2: animals on the farm. So tell us a little bit 45 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 2: about when you were growing up. Did you know you 46 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:32,360 Speaker 2: were a part of such a iconic family. 47 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:36,079 Speaker 3: Well, we always kind of knew we were a part 48 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:38,520 Speaker 3: of something. I will say that we grew up on 49 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:42,920 Speaker 3: a farm you're right, called Grant's Farm, and my grandfather 50 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 3: purchased the land back in the turn of the twentieth century, 51 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 3: so right around nineteen hundred, and it used to be 52 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:52,560 Speaker 3: a place where Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia 53 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 3: Dent lived. They lived there for a little while. He 54 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 3: actually handbuilt a cabin you Lissa did there on which 55 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 3: still stands there on the property today. And so it 56 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 3: was in my family for many years. My dad, when 57 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 3: he started running the brewery, he was given the property 58 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 3: and allowed to live there and really just pretty much 59 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:18,800 Speaker 3: take it over and raise all of us on the property. 60 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 3: And he decided in nineteen fifty four to open Grants 61 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 3: Farm to the public. He got this great idea from 62 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 3: one of the baseball player's wives, Red Shandy's wife, who 63 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 3: was a great base Red Chandy's was a great baseball 64 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 3: player for the Saint Louis Cardinals, which Dad bought back 65 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 3: in nineteen fifty three to help sell more Butdweiser, and 66 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 3: he was given the idea to open Grans Farm to 67 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 3: the public by this young lady, and he did that, 68 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 3: and he opened it up, and he wanted then to 69 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 3: of course advertise his brands there and to make it 70 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:57,040 Speaker 3: a wonderful family affair. And he was a great marketer. 71 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 3: He understood marketing. He understood that if you really catch 72 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 3: a family with kids growing up, and you catch them 73 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 3: at the right age, and you show that you know 74 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 3: the brand, and you show what's going on, and you 75 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 3: give them something to do and something to think about 76 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:16,720 Speaker 3: and something beautiful, that probably when they reached the age 77 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 3: to be able to have a beer, they'll they'll consider 78 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:22,880 Speaker 3: drinking a Budweiser first. And so we grew up on 79 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 3: this farm, and it was an incredible place to grow up. 80 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:28,360 Speaker 3: And we did have lots of animals. We had elephants, 81 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:31,279 Speaker 3: we had monkeys, we had chimps, we had you name it, 82 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 3: we had buffalo. 83 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: We raised the typical American farm. 84 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:39,040 Speaker 3: Yep, very much so. And it was just a great 85 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 3: place to grow up. And we worked on the farm 86 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:43,840 Speaker 3: understanding that we had to keep it maintained and looking 87 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:46,920 Speaker 3: beautiful for the public who came in, you know, throughout 88 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 3: the summer. Basically, we're open six months out of the year, 89 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 3: and people would come there to visit and enjoy of 90 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 3: course the place, and then a cold Budweiser if they 91 00:04:56,080 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 3: were old enough, and you know, it represented our something 92 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 3: even bigger than us, and it represented the company, and 93 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 3: that's what we always were part of. 94 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:09,320 Speaker 2: So I would be remiss if I didn't ask your father, 95 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:12,440 Speaker 2: obviously sounds like a strong He was a strong family man. 96 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:15,279 Speaker 2: He was into family values. And you said he was 97 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:19,360 Speaker 2: a phenomenal marketer. What would he have thought of the 98 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:22,720 Speaker 2: Dylan mulvany moment that really hurt bud Light? 99 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:25,359 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think he would have thought pretty much. You 100 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:29,240 Speaker 3: know what common sense tells you, and that is that 101 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:35,920 Speaker 3: the basic drinker of butt Light and mainstream beers in particular, 102 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 3: are you know, are hardworking American people, mainly blue collar 103 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:44,279 Speaker 3: to like to come home after a hard day's work 104 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 3: or spend their weekends drinking something that's satisfying that they 105 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:54,160 Speaker 3: can enjoy that really refreshes them. And that's what the 106 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 3: beer represented, and that was the audience to butd light 107 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 3: and to make it a different audience, which the new 108 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 3: ownership had done a couple of years ago, was a 109 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 3: terrible move, and my dad would have thought the same thing. 110 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 1: I mean, that's kind of common sense when you say that. 111 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 1: I think that. 112 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:16,400 Speaker 2: You know, a few years ago, people might have said, 113 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:18,719 Speaker 2: oh my gosh, how could you say that? But now 114 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:21,600 Speaker 2: the world has kind of switched back to saying, Okay, 115 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:24,680 Speaker 2: there is a reality that it's okay to market to 116 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 2: your audience and not try to create an audience that's 117 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:29,599 Speaker 2: not your audience, because I mean, it's one thing to 118 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:32,599 Speaker 2: reach out, maybe you create a new brand, but to 119 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:35,719 Speaker 2: take your iconic brand and do that it seemed weird 120 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:38,960 Speaker 2: to all of us. So I appreciate you being willing 121 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:40,200 Speaker 2: to come out and say that. But I want to 122 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 2: stay on your dad for a minute. Because you wrote 123 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:45,359 Speaker 2: this book, you talk about your family. I've read some 124 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 2: articles that have featured your family, and it sounds like 125 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:53,360 Speaker 2: your dad was pretty pretty much always a tough businessman 126 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 2: and kind of had even that same demeanor with the family. 127 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:03,720 Speaker 3: He lived eight slept the business. That's what he was 128 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:06,599 Speaker 3: all about. He loved it. He was very passionate about it. 129 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:10,800 Speaker 3: He felt very strongly because he saw how hard his grandfather, 130 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 3: who started the company back in the eighteen hundreds, worked, 131 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 3: and how he built the company and the innovation that 132 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 3: he came with, you know, coming up with refrigeration and 133 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:24,080 Speaker 3: with pastorization and beer so that they could now transport 134 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:27,560 Speaker 3: the beer to the further off places. Back then, it 135 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:30,840 Speaker 3: was all mainly local brews that you drank, but he 136 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 3: was able now to transport his beers because of refrigeration 137 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 3: and fasturization to other places in the country. And he 138 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:39,440 Speaker 3: saw how hard he worked, and he saw how hard 139 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:43,240 Speaker 3: his father worked, especially during that very difficult time from 140 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 3: nineteen twenty to nineteen thirty three, which is prohibition and 141 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:50,640 Speaker 3: you couldn't sell alcohol in the United States, and how 142 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:54,760 Speaker 3: he worked so hard to keep all two thousand plus 143 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 3: employees employed during that time, which of course was a 144 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:02,160 Speaker 3: great depression and a very very difficult time economically, and 145 00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 3: to keep all the employees going was extremely difficult and 146 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:11,840 Speaker 3: extremely hard on his father, which actually caused him to 147 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:16,480 Speaker 3: take his life in nineteen thirty four, so right after prohibition, 148 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 3: because of the pain that he was going through from 149 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 3: all the stress during that time. And it was and 150 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:26,240 Speaker 3: he saw his brother, his oldest brother also worked the 151 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:30,560 Speaker 3: company during World War Two, and how they got the 152 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 3: company back and rolling after Prohibition and kept it going 153 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:37,560 Speaker 3: through World War two. And so he felt very very 154 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:40,719 Speaker 3: close to it. He felt very responsible for having to 155 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:43,560 Speaker 3: keep it going and to make sure it just didn't 156 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:46,560 Speaker 3: keep going. But it continued to grow and during my 157 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:49,440 Speaker 3: dad's time, and I got to witness this, which was incredible. 158 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:52,280 Speaker 3: It was the greatest growth of Anaazer Bush. They went 159 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:55,400 Speaker 3: from three million barrels and sales to about forty million 160 00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:58,560 Speaker 3: barrels and sales during his time. He opened up nine 161 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:01,520 Speaker 3: other buries throughout the Uni States. He put theme parks 162 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:04,720 Speaker 3: like bush Gardens around a lot of those breweries. He 163 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:08,840 Speaker 3: bought excuse me, he bought the Saint Louis Cardinals baseball team. 164 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 3: And he was involved in everything and he just loved 165 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 3: he what he did. My mom stood by his side 166 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 3: and worked really hard. Where they're entertaining, and they entertained 167 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 3: all the time. They were entertaining suppliers and wholesalers and 168 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:29,680 Speaker 3: business associates, and you know, they had They had a 169 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:33,320 Speaker 3: lot of celebrities involved, including Frank Sinatra and many other 170 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:38,600 Speaker 3: celebrities who were part of Anheuser Bush and helping advertise 171 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:43,079 Speaker 3: the company, and so they worked incredibly hard and they 172 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:48,200 Speaker 3: loved the business and they they were extremely successful. So 173 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:50,120 Speaker 3: I got to watch that and it was really interesting 174 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 3: to watch. 175 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 2: I mean, it sounds fascinating. What was it like when 176 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 2: your dad, I mean, did your dad retire? Did he 177 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 2: passed away before he retired? How did the passing down 178 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:04,000 Speaker 2: of the company go. 179 00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:09,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, succession was always interesting. It would go to the 180 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:14,000 Speaker 3: most competent son normally, and that's how it was passed down. 181 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:17,239 Speaker 3: And that's how it went from Adolphus, my great grandfather, 182 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:21,320 Speaker 3: to my grandfather, August Senior, and then to his son 183 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:26,559 Speaker 3: Adolphus Junior, who was the oldest of the two brothers. 184 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:30,840 Speaker 3: My dad was the youngest, and then he died prematurely 185 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 3: and then went over to my dad and he took 186 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:38,480 Speaker 3: over the company. And then things got a little awkward. 187 00:10:38,559 --> 00:10:41,839 Speaker 3: Things got a little different because my dad was running 188 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:48,080 Speaker 3: the company and in nineteen seventy four, his daughter, his 189 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:51,720 Speaker 3: youngest daughter, my sister, Christina, was killed in a car accident, 190 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:55,440 Speaker 3: and it really took a lot out of my father 191 00:10:55,920 --> 00:11:00,160 Speaker 3: and he wasn't making the greatest decisions any longer. But 192 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:02,920 Speaker 3: I will say that did not give the excuse for 193 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:05,520 Speaker 3: his oldest son, my half brother, August the third, to 194 00:11:05,559 --> 00:11:08,199 Speaker 3: take the company from him from him the way he did, 195 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:11,200 Speaker 3: and he basically formed a coup within the board of 196 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:16,000 Speaker 3: directors and he was able to kick my father out 197 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:18,960 Speaker 3: of being the head of the brewery, the CEO and 198 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:24,680 Speaker 3: the president and being replaced by him. So that was 199 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:27,200 Speaker 3: a hard time to go through. It caused a lot 200 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:31,840 Speaker 3: of separation in the family, but you know, that's uh, 201 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:34,079 Speaker 3: that's kind of how things went. And then of course 202 00:11:34,080 --> 00:11:37,440 Speaker 3: it went to the next generation, my half brother's son, 203 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:41,120 Speaker 3: and that's where it ended. A few years after he 204 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:43,640 Speaker 3: took it over InBev came over and took over the 205 00:11:43,679 --> 00:11:45,400 Speaker 3: company and now they own it. 206 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:49,600 Speaker 2: So was there any point when you had involvement with 207 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:54,360 Speaker 2: the company. Obviously you had a company outside of the 208 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:58,360 Speaker 2: main corporation, but were you involved Did you run any 209 00:11:58,400 --> 00:11:59,199 Speaker 2: part of the business. 210 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:02,240 Speaker 3: I never ran any part of the manufacturing business. It 211 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:05,280 Speaker 3: was difficult to do because of the separation in the family. 212 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:11,199 Speaker 3: We my my immediate brothers and sisters kind of knew 213 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:13,679 Speaker 3: that we weren't going to have the chance to really 214 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:19,360 Speaker 3: become uh to climb the ladder basically at Annahiser Busch 215 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:22,920 Speaker 3: in the in in the company. And so what we 216 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 3: were able to do, uh, I was able to buy 217 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 3: a distributorship. So we had a couple of distributorships, one 218 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:34,160 Speaker 3: in Florida and one in Texas. And I learned the 219 00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:36,880 Speaker 3: distribution side of the business. So I was not only 220 00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:39,240 Speaker 3: in the entertainment side of the business when it came 221 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:41,520 Speaker 3: to Grant's farm, but I was also in the distribution 222 00:12:41,679 --> 00:12:44,040 Speaker 3: side of the business. So I learned a lot about 223 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:46,920 Speaker 3: the business that way, going out and selling to retailers 224 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:51,839 Speaker 3: and and and just you know, basically pushing the beer 225 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:53,959 Speaker 3: out there on the in the market street. 226 00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:56,520 Speaker 2: What was it like though, when you found out that 227 00:12:56,640 --> 00:13:01,080 Speaker 2: your nephew was selling the business that it must be 228 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:04,559 Speaker 2: kind of tough to see something that has had what 229 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:06,080 Speaker 2: six generations? 230 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was actually five generations, six different leaders of 231 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:17,400 Speaker 3: Anheuser of Bush leaders that ran Anheuser Bush because it 232 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:22,000 Speaker 3: crossed over horizontally at one point and then and then 233 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:26,760 Speaker 3: kept going down, So as five generations. You know, I 234 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:32,320 Speaker 3: think my nephew, August the fourth, he was a very 235 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 3: talented guy. He was also an incredible marketer. Uh. He 236 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:39,760 Speaker 3: understood the business. Uh. He had a lot of charisma. 237 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:42,400 Speaker 3: He did have one problem though, and that was he 238 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:46,120 Speaker 3: had a drug addiction, and that made it very difficult 239 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:49,640 Speaker 3: for him to run the company. I think the competition 240 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:54,439 Speaker 3: out there saw an inn like InBev, They saw that 241 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:58,400 Speaker 3: they could take over the company, and so they As 242 00:13:58,400 --> 00:14:01,760 Speaker 3: hard as my nephew tried to stop it from happening, 243 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:04,240 Speaker 3: he really couldn't stop it because at the end of 244 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:08,480 Speaker 3: the day, the stock was kind of floundering. It wasn't 245 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:12,880 Speaker 3: moving up. You're responsible to the stockholder, of course, and 246 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:16,240 Speaker 3: if the stock's not growing and things aren't going well, 247 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:18,480 Speaker 3: and you get this huge price to come in and 248 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:21,360 Speaker 3: buy the company and the stock's going to immediately go up, 249 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:24,800 Speaker 3: you know, twenty or thirty points, then it's he was 250 00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:29,040 Speaker 3: under the pretty much. He was under the gun and 251 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:30,840 Speaker 3: had to sell the company at that point. 252 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:34,720 Speaker 1: But at that point the company was still completely family owned. 253 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:38,640 Speaker 3: It wasn't completely no, it was a public company. Actually, 254 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 3: at the end of prohibition it became a public company. 255 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:44,600 Speaker 3: So it was it was run by the family, but 256 00:14:44,640 --> 00:14:46,280 Speaker 3: it was not owned by the family. 257 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:48,880 Speaker 2: Stick around for more with Billy Bush, But first I 258 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:50,840 Speaker 2: want to tell you a little bit about my partners 259 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:56,160 Speaker 2: at IFCJ. January twenty seventh was International Holocaust Remembrance Day, 260 00:14:56,520 --> 00:14:59,200 Speaker 2: a day to remember the evil of the Holocaust, when 261 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:03,520 Speaker 2: millions of g were slaughtered during the Nazis reign of terror. Today, 262 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 2: the rise in global anti Semitism and the constant attacks 263 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:09,440 Speaker 2: on Israel show us that it's more important than ever 264 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:13,320 Speaker 2: to remember the atrocities of the Holocaust and to ensure 265 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:16,960 Speaker 2: that it never happens again. And that's why I've partnered 266 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:21,560 Speaker 2: with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. They provide food, shelter, 267 00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 2: and safety to Jews in Israel and around the world, 268 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 2: including those remaining Holocaust survivors. Your donation today will help 269 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:33,960 Speaker 2: provide food, water, medicine, and other basic necessities to Jewish communities, 270 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:37,280 Speaker 2: and through your gift, you will stand with the Jewish 271 00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:41,680 Speaker 2: people and against this growing anti semitism and hatred. Give 272 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:44,320 Speaker 2: your gift today to show your support for the Jewish 273 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:48,640 Speaker 2: people by visiting SUPPORTIFCJ dot org. It's one word, it's 274 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:52,680 Speaker 2: support IFCJ dot org, or you can call eight eight 275 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:57,040 Speaker 2: eight four eight eight IFCJ again. That's eight eight eight 276 00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 2: four eight eight IFCJA eight eight four eight, eight, four 277 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:05,680 Speaker 2: three two five. Now stick around, We've got more with 278 00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:12,800 Speaker 2: Billy Bush after this, what happens to the family, Because 279 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:16,200 Speaker 2: you said that there was already kind of this break 280 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:20,840 Speaker 2: in the family when you're your half brother essentially throw 281 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:22,040 Speaker 2: your dad out. 282 00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:23,720 Speaker 1: What were those years? 283 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:25,960 Speaker 2: Like what happens in a family? Because you had a 284 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:29,520 Speaker 2: large family. I mean your dad had eleven kids, right. 285 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:31,000 Speaker 3: That's correct. 286 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:32,240 Speaker 1: So how does that? 287 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:35,800 Speaker 2: I mean, you're not just it's not just one person's 288 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:37,600 Speaker 2: decision or like I look at my family. I have 289 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:40,960 Speaker 2: a sister and we make our decisions about our parents together, 290 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:44,160 Speaker 2: you know, but with eleven kids, I would imagine it's 291 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 2: very hard to come to a conclusion of how to 292 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:50,480 Speaker 2: handle something like that, and then to have your half 293 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:53,000 Speaker 2: brother throw him out, that had to have been a 294 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:55,120 Speaker 2: pretty big rif well. 295 00:16:54,920 --> 00:16:58,240 Speaker 3: There was a big rip. My father went through a 296 00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:01,560 Speaker 3: very very difficult time. As I said earlier, he lost 297 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:04,720 Speaker 3: his youngest daughter, my sister, Christina, in a car accident 298 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:08,399 Speaker 3: that took a lot out of him. It really caused 299 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:11,760 Speaker 3: a big friction between my mother and father, and they 300 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:14,680 Speaker 3: soon divorced about a year or two after that happened. 301 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:19,200 Speaker 3: And during that whole time is when his oldest son, 302 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 3: my half brother, August the third was was forming a 303 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:26,280 Speaker 3: coup and and and kicking my dad out of the 304 00:17:26,440 --> 00:17:32,000 Speaker 3: of the company, and my dad was seriously upset. He 305 00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 3: came to his four sons from my mom, so I 306 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:37,840 Speaker 3: was one of them, of course, and he asked us 307 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:42,199 Speaker 3: to go meet with August out at the farm. And 308 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:45,359 Speaker 3: we actually had two farms that abutted each other, and 309 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:47,399 Speaker 3: we went to the boundary line and he was on 310 00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:49,280 Speaker 3: one side of the fence and we were on the other. 311 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:52,280 Speaker 3: I'll never forget we went out there to meet with 312 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:57,520 Speaker 3: August and and and tell him, you know, how wrong 313 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:00,679 Speaker 3: he was, and maybe, you know, even it would it 314 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:03,679 Speaker 3: could have gotten physical or because we were very upset 315 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:08,600 Speaker 3: and Dad was was was at that point really really 316 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:13,399 Speaker 3: upset with his oldest son. And so what ended up 317 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:17,760 Speaker 3: was August explained to us that Dad had been going 318 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:21,520 Speaker 3: through some difficulties at the brewery. He wasn't making good 319 00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:24,840 Speaker 3: decisions any longer. We could see Dad slipping at home. 320 00:18:24,880 --> 00:18:27,320 Speaker 3: At this time, he was already about seventy eight years old, 321 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:30,120 Speaker 3: and we could see him slipping at home a little bit. 322 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:33,879 Speaker 3: He wasn't the same, He wasn't as strong he was. 323 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:37,680 Speaker 3: He was crying a lot. He was very upset over 324 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:42,159 Speaker 3: losing his daughter, and he was it was difficult for 325 00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:46,120 Speaker 3: him to lead this company, which was the number one 326 00:18:46,119 --> 00:18:50,040 Speaker 3: company in the beer industry, and he needed to have 327 00:18:50,920 --> 00:18:53,639 Speaker 3: he needed to be on his game all the time, 328 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:56,800 Speaker 3: which we saw that he wasn't. And in August, I 329 00:18:56,840 --> 00:19:01,400 Speaker 3: will say, he gave a very good explanation on why 330 00:19:01,520 --> 00:19:04,520 Speaker 3: he needed to run the brewery, why Dad wouldn't easily 331 00:19:04,560 --> 00:19:07,280 Speaker 3: step down, because Dad had a big ego, of course, 332 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:09,720 Speaker 3: and he did. He wasn't going to just step down 333 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:13,119 Speaker 3: and walk away from it. And he made also the 334 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:16,000 Speaker 3: argument that he was going to keep the company going 335 00:19:16,119 --> 00:19:19,160 Speaker 3: and it was going to be very very successful under 336 00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:22,800 Speaker 3: his leadership. And you know, pretty much all those things 337 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:25,719 Speaker 3: did come true. It we explained, you know, we I 338 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:27,920 Speaker 3: thought there was going to be more of a fight, 339 00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:31,879 Speaker 3: an argument, and again it could have gotten physical. It 340 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:35,360 Speaker 3: didn't go down to that because August was pretty eloquent 341 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:37,680 Speaker 3: of how he explained it to us, and we really 342 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:42,440 Speaker 3: couldn't say anything back to him that we couldn't disagree 343 00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:47,280 Speaker 3: with so much. And so yeah, so what happened was 344 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:52,000 Speaker 3: we didn't talk to our because it was interesting my 345 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:56,680 Speaker 3: immediate six brother or five brothers and sisters. At the time, 346 00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:02,639 Speaker 3: we all stuck together with mom and dad and his 347 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:07,439 Speaker 3: other four kids from previous wives all stuck together. So 348 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:10,919 Speaker 3: we completely separated. They were no longer Christmas together, no 349 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:14,280 Speaker 3: longer Thanksgiving together, you know, any of that. So, yeah, 350 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:18,320 Speaker 3: life changed completely at that point when it came to 351 00:20:18,359 --> 00:20:19,440 Speaker 3: our family dynamic. 352 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:22,000 Speaker 1: How old was your sister when she was in the 353 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:22,560 Speaker 1: car accident. 354 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:23,520 Speaker 3: She was eight years old. 355 00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:30,679 Speaker 2: Oh my goodness, how devastating. So was family in the 356 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:31,320 Speaker 2: car with her. 357 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:35,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, my brother was in the car with her, Thank god, 358 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:38,639 Speaker 3: he was thrown out of the car and he only 359 00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:41,479 Speaker 3: had scratches on him. And then the chauffeur was in 360 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:44,520 Speaker 3: the car with her and he was killed immediately. She 361 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:48,720 Speaker 3: lived on a machine for about a week or so 362 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:53,680 Speaker 3: after the accident, but she was completely paralyzed and never 363 00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:56,840 Speaker 3: regained consciousness, and then she ended up dying. 364 00:20:57,640 --> 00:21:00,880 Speaker 2: Oh my goodness. So that was obviously something that tore 365 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:03,479 Speaker 2: all of you apart. I mean, that had to have 366 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:06,240 Speaker 2: been devastating for everyone. How old were you when this 367 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:09,600 Speaker 2: happened with the company, Yeah. 368 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:11,760 Speaker 3: I was fifteen years old when my sister was in 369 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:16,600 Speaker 3: the car accident. And then again, it was probably a 370 00:21:16,640 --> 00:21:20,840 Speaker 3: few months after that that my half brother formed the 371 00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:23,760 Speaker 3: coup and kicked my dad out of the brewery. And 372 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:27,360 Speaker 3: then my mom and dad argued all the time. My 373 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:29,360 Speaker 3: mom was, you know, she didn't want to see him 374 00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:33,560 Speaker 3: lose the power, and she wanted him to understand that 375 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:35,880 Speaker 3: he had six other kids that he had to take 376 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:38,919 Speaker 3: care of, and that he could not cry over Christina 377 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:43,760 Speaker 3: and the whole time, and he needed to pull himself 378 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:46,680 Speaker 3: together and be strong through this and get the company 379 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:53,320 Speaker 3: back under his control. And they fought all the time, unrelentlessly, 380 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:58,080 Speaker 3: and it just kept going like that, so it spiral downhill, 381 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:01,920 Speaker 3: and pretty soon they ended up getting divorced. So yeah, 382 00:22:02,040 --> 00:22:04,399 Speaker 3: it was it was never the same after that point. 383 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:06,320 Speaker 1: Were you the oldest of that family. 384 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:11,879 Speaker 3: No, No, I had two older brothers and two older 385 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:13,320 Speaker 3: sisters and one younger brother. 386 00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:16,880 Speaker 1: But a lot of responsibility at fifteen to go talk 387 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:21,399 Speaker 1: to your older half brother about having your father stay 388 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:22,160 Speaker 1: in the company. 389 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:28,040 Speaker 3: You know what, we were leaving it more to our 390 00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:31,320 Speaker 3: oldest full brother, Adolphus. And I know this is a 391 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:34,439 Speaker 3: little bit confusing with all the brothers and sisters and 392 00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:40,200 Speaker 3: half brothers and sisters and what have you, But we Adolphus, 393 00:22:40,440 --> 00:22:43,800 Speaker 3: my oldest full brother, was being also groomed to become 394 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:49,480 Speaker 3: a large part of Anheuser bush I remember Dad asking him, well, 395 00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:51,960 Speaker 3: not only when he went to college he worked at 396 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:56,720 Speaker 3: the Coresbury in Colorado to learn the business while he 397 00:22:56,800 --> 00:23:00,480 Speaker 3: was going to college, but Dad also had him make 398 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:04,399 Speaker 3: speeches for him, make appearances in his place in a 399 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:09,719 Speaker 3: lot of instances around the country, which Adolphus did, thinking 400 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:12,640 Speaker 3: that he also was going to have a big part 401 00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:16,560 Speaker 3: of control of Anhaser bush Er, being a leadership in 402 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:19,960 Speaker 3: Anheser Busch in some way shape or another. And it 403 00:23:20,040 --> 00:23:24,199 Speaker 3: wasn't guaranteed. Again, the succession wasn't guaranteed to August. It 404 00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:30,440 Speaker 3: was going to go to the most competent descendants, and 405 00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:33,200 Speaker 3: so he understood what was going on. He was older, 406 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:35,920 Speaker 3: he was about twenty one at the time, and we 407 00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:39,639 Speaker 3: let him. I really thought that there was going to 408 00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:45,760 Speaker 3: be a more discussion and more volatility at that meeting 409 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:50,320 Speaker 3: place at the farm when we met, especially between my 410 00:23:50,359 --> 00:23:53,480 Speaker 3: oldest brother in August. But again it turned out where 411 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:57,199 Speaker 3: August was able to explain himself very well and we 412 00:23:57,280 --> 00:24:00,720 Speaker 3: all kind of understood and we went back. I sat 413 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:03,720 Speaker 3: down with Dad. Adolph has explained to him and said, Dad, 414 00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:06,200 Speaker 3: you know, there's just nothing we can do. August is 415 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:08,679 Speaker 3: already taken it over, and you know, maybe it is 416 00:24:08,760 --> 00:24:10,960 Speaker 3: time that you retire. You're still going to be able 417 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:13,119 Speaker 3: to be the head of the Cardinals, the president of 418 00:24:13,119 --> 00:24:17,400 Speaker 3: the Cardinals baseball team, and you know that's that's kind 419 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:21,520 Speaker 3: of where we are now. But yeah, it was to 420 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:23,719 Speaker 3: this day, I still look at it, like, you know, 421 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:26,520 Speaker 3: there could have been a much better way for August 422 00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:31,240 Speaker 3: to handle to have handled himself with our father and 423 00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:36,000 Speaker 3: and worked that that succession deal out, And I just 424 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:39,080 Speaker 3: think he handled handled that poorly. But I will say 425 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:43,159 Speaker 3: he did run the brewery very very well under his leadership. 426 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:45,880 Speaker 3: Anazer Bush took off, he came up with bud Light 427 00:24:46,119 --> 00:24:50,399 Speaker 3: and and and we ended up getting over fifty percent 428 00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:53,520 Speaker 3: market share here in the United States. So one out 429 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:56,120 Speaker 3: of every two beers that was was sold under him 430 00:24:56,920 --> 00:25:00,080 Speaker 3: in the United States was an Anheuser Busch Beer, and 431 00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:04,000 Speaker 3: the company did incredibly well for many years under his leadership. 432 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:06,879 Speaker 2: Let's take a quick commercial break. We'll continue next on 433 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:13,680 Speaker 2: the Tutor Dixon podcast. After the coup, after he took over, 434 00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:15,480 Speaker 2: did any of your brothers. 435 00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:17,840 Speaker 1: If your full brothers ever worked there, again. 436 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:21,399 Speaker 3: No nobody ever really worked at Anaer Bush. One of 437 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:24,480 Speaker 3: my brothers, my older brother Peter, he worked a little 438 00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:30,199 Speaker 3: bit at a as as a regional manager in Oklahoma 439 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:34,960 Speaker 3: for a little while for Anheuser Bush before purchasing a 440 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:40,320 Speaker 3: distributorship down in Florida. And you said earlier, I played polo. 441 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:42,880 Speaker 3: We were on a polo team. We ended up purchasing 442 00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:46,960 Speaker 3: my two brothers and I and along with a couple 443 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:51,400 Speaker 3: other partners, purchased a distributorship in Florida also, and then 444 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:55,000 Speaker 3: we ended up moving from that distributorship to one down 445 00:25:55,040 --> 00:25:57,679 Speaker 3: in Texas, a great, big one in Houston, Texas. And 446 00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:01,760 Speaker 3: I moved down there and worked at that distributorship and 447 00:26:01,840 --> 00:26:08,040 Speaker 3: learned learned the distributing business forward and backward, and you know, 448 00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:11,720 Speaker 3: love the business and it's always been in my blood. 449 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:13,959 Speaker 3: And here we are today and we're still in the business. 450 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:16,399 Speaker 3: And I'm asking myself once in a while, why am 451 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:19,400 Speaker 3: I still in this business? Because there's over ten thousand 452 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:22,199 Speaker 3: berries out there right now, many of them are closing down. 453 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:26,159 Speaker 3: People aren't drinking beer like they used to. But I 454 00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:28,640 Speaker 3: still love the business, and I feel like I don't 455 00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:31,520 Speaker 3: think that is. Why has that changed, well, I think 456 00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:35,399 Speaker 3: the millennials and the Gen zs that have gone, I 457 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:39,000 Speaker 3: think they're becoming more health conscious. You know, when we 458 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:42,360 Speaker 3: were growing up, and I was part of the Baby boomers, 459 00:26:42,840 --> 00:26:47,080 Speaker 3: we looked at beer as the alcohol of moderation. If 460 00:26:47,119 --> 00:26:49,560 Speaker 3: you're going to drink alcohol, the best drink you could 461 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:52,280 Speaker 3: drink would be beer because it was always the easiest 462 00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:54,760 Speaker 3: on your system, and it had health benefits to it 463 00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:57,680 Speaker 3: with the hops and the barley and everything, and it 464 00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:01,520 Speaker 3: wasn't that high in alcohol. So we looked at it 465 00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:06,119 Speaker 3: like like it was. It was a great a great pastime, 466 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:08,480 Speaker 3: a great drink to have. It's not going to get 467 00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:12,000 Speaker 3: you all messed up, and it's something you can enjoy 468 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:16,600 Speaker 3: socially when you're out and you know, and everybody thought 469 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:19,960 Speaker 3: that and everybody and for the most part, during those days, 470 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:23,560 Speaker 3: people were drinking way more beer. But nowadays, I'll tell you, 471 00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:29,359 Speaker 3: I don't know if it's if it's cannabis, are some 472 00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:31,359 Speaker 3: of these other things that are out there that people 473 00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:35,159 Speaker 3: can enjoy now. But people are more health conscious, and 474 00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:38,679 Speaker 3: they're even saying that beer now is not the healthiest 475 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:40,840 Speaker 3: thing for you in the world. I mean, back in 476 00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:44,320 Speaker 3: the day, the physicians were saying that a couple of 477 00:27:44,359 --> 00:27:46,840 Speaker 3: beers a day where there was a great health benefit 478 00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:49,640 Speaker 3: to that. Now they're trying to take that away. So 479 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:52,359 Speaker 3: I just think that more people are health conscious today 480 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:53,159 Speaker 3: than ever before. 481 00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:56,400 Speaker 2: So let me ask you. You talk about this as 482 00:27:56,440 --> 00:27:59,200 Speaker 2: being the rise and fall of an empire. Really, so 483 00:27:59,680 --> 00:28:02,280 Speaker 2: what you really see as the fall? Was it the 484 00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:06,440 Speaker 2: moment that you had that discussion with August. Was that 485 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:08,919 Speaker 2: like the beginning of what you felt like was the 486 00:28:08,960 --> 00:28:11,280 Speaker 2: fall because it was kind of a separation of family 487 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:12,160 Speaker 2: behind the scenes. 488 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:17,480 Speaker 3: That's a really good question, Tutor. I really think that, yes, 489 00:28:18,119 --> 00:28:20,400 Speaker 3: you're right. I think if you if you go back 490 00:28:20,440 --> 00:28:25,000 Speaker 3: in history and you look at how close family members 491 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:28,960 Speaker 3: were when I was when I came to my grandfather, 492 00:28:29,680 --> 00:28:33,720 Speaker 3: my great grandfather, Adolphus, who had thirteen kids. Some of 493 00:28:33,760 --> 00:28:36,080 Speaker 3: them didn't live that long, you know, they died early 494 00:28:36,119 --> 00:28:40,360 Speaker 3: back in those days, in the eighteen hundreds, but him 495 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:44,720 Speaker 3: and his wife were always very close and they ran 496 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:48,400 Speaker 3: the business, and they knew exactly who to run the 497 00:28:48,440 --> 00:28:53,800 Speaker 3: business after after they resigned or were ready to retire. 498 00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:58,240 Speaker 3: And that happened with Adolphus when he handed it down 499 00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:01,800 Speaker 3: to August Senior, who was a most competent and willing 500 00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:04,560 Speaker 3: to take it over, although he had to figure out 501 00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:06,920 Speaker 3: a lot of things I talk about in the book. 502 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:10,400 Speaker 3: He wanted to be a rancher and so my grand 503 00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:13,640 Speaker 3: his father sent him out to New Mexico to learn 504 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:16,040 Speaker 3: the ranching business, and then he came back and decided 505 00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:18,960 Speaker 3: he wanted to be in the in there brewing business 506 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:24,400 Speaker 3: after all. And then when his uh, when my dad's father, 507 00:29:24,520 --> 00:29:29,520 Speaker 3: my grandfather, August Senior, who was very close to his wife. 508 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:33,080 Speaker 3: They had five kids, two of them were sons, three 509 00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:36,160 Speaker 3: were daughters, and my dad was the youngest of the 510 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:39,240 Speaker 3: two sons and the fourth youngest of all the kids, 511 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:43,720 Speaker 3: and so his oldest brother was the It was very 512 00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:46,360 Speaker 3: competent and it made sense because he was older to 513 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:50,280 Speaker 3: take over the brewery. He took it over under the 514 00:29:50,360 --> 00:29:54,800 Speaker 3: you know, I of of my grandfather until he died, 515 00:29:55,320 --> 00:29:59,120 Speaker 3: and then he ran the company and then he passed 516 00:29:59,120 --> 00:30:03,480 Speaker 3: away early from a sickness and it went over to 517 00:30:03,560 --> 00:30:06,960 Speaker 3: my dad and my dad took it over. But that's 518 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:08,880 Speaker 3: when things I think got a little bit different. Now. 519 00:30:08,920 --> 00:30:11,640 Speaker 3: My dad, you know, he had he had actually four 520 00:30:11,680 --> 00:30:15,920 Speaker 3: different wives during his time and he had, He had 521 00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:21,240 Speaker 3: kids from three of his wives, and I think, you know, 522 00:30:21,800 --> 00:30:26,480 Speaker 3: I think family is very, very important. And I will 523 00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:30,920 Speaker 3: say that if if you know between half brothers and 524 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:33,160 Speaker 3: half sisters and all that it can get very it 525 00:30:33,160 --> 00:30:37,960 Speaker 3: can get even more competitive, then it would be in 526 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:42,160 Speaker 3: a family that's all unified right its full brothers and sisters. 527 00:30:42,680 --> 00:30:45,120 Speaker 3: And I think that made a difference, I really do. 528 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:52,840 Speaker 3: And I think the fact that his oldest son, August, was, 529 00:30:55,280 --> 00:30:59,120 Speaker 3: I would say a little leary of his half brothers 530 00:30:59,120 --> 00:31:04,120 Speaker 3: and sisters and understanding that you know, they could actually 531 00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:07,920 Speaker 3: take the company over when it should be rightfully his. 532 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:10,959 Speaker 3: I think he jumped in there to ensure that he 533 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:14,880 Speaker 3: would get it and that nobody else would. And I 534 00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 3: think he took it from Dad. When he took it 535 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:21,520 Speaker 3: from Dad, it's ironic how things happened. He ended up 536 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:24,560 Speaker 3: running the company, as I said, very well. He did 537 00:31:24,840 --> 00:31:27,800 Speaker 3: great things with it. He grew the business. But then 538 00:31:27,880 --> 00:31:30,600 Speaker 3: he had a son that he handed it down to 539 00:31:31,040 --> 00:31:34,880 Speaker 3: and it probably wasn't the well, it definitely wasn't the 540 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:37,080 Speaker 3: best idea to hand it to this son because of 541 00:31:37,120 --> 00:31:41,520 Speaker 3: his addiction problem. And and you know, the rest is 542 00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:46,240 Speaker 3: pretty much history. When our competition grew in Europe and 543 00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:50,360 Speaker 3: Brazil and Belgium, and they and the company got very big, 544 00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:52,640 Speaker 3: and all of a sudden, Anheuser Bush was no longer 545 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:54,959 Speaker 3: the big fish in the sea any longer. They were 546 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:58,680 Speaker 3: no longer the number one brewing beer business in the 547 00:31:58,840 --> 00:32:02,120 Speaker 3: in the world. Now a company called InBev had outgrown 548 00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:08,680 Speaker 3: them on a world scale that it gave them the 549 00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:13,720 Speaker 3: ability to take over Anheuser Bush. And when they saw 550 00:32:13,760 --> 00:32:17,680 Speaker 3: that it was not being run completely well by the leadership, 551 00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:22,160 Speaker 3: that they then had the ability to go in and 552 00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:22,720 Speaker 3: take it over. 553 00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:23,920 Speaker 2: Wow. 554 00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:26,080 Speaker 1: And how old was August Sun when that happened. 555 00:32:27,160 --> 00:32:29,520 Speaker 3: He would have been I think let's see, so that 556 00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:34,800 Speaker 3: was two thousand and eight. Let's see, we're talking seventeen 557 00:32:34,920 --> 00:32:37,320 Speaker 3: years ago, so he would have been in his thirties. 558 00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:42,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, So we'll just end on this. What is the 559 00:32:42,320 --> 00:32:45,840 Speaker 2: status of the family today? You are there family gatherings, 560 00:32:45,920 --> 00:32:48,720 Speaker 2: do you see each other? Or how did things end up? 561 00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:54,360 Speaker 3: You know there, I'm not close to my brothers and 562 00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:59,280 Speaker 3: sisters any longer. Grant's Farm became kind of a dividing 563 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:04,760 Speaker 3: place for us. My dad, in his will wanted to 564 00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:07,640 Speaker 3: keep grants Farm in the family and wanted one or 565 00:33:07,680 --> 00:33:11,760 Speaker 3: more of us to keep it going in the family. 566 00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:15,200 Speaker 3: I offered to buy Grants Farm. When my brothers and 567 00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:18,840 Speaker 3: sisters were trying to sell it or we all wanted 568 00:33:18,880 --> 00:33:21,160 Speaker 3: to sell it. I offered to buy it to keep 569 00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:23,760 Speaker 3: it in the family. As Dad's wishes. I had a 570 00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:25,720 Speaker 3: beer business. I was going to put a brewery on 571 00:33:25,800 --> 00:33:29,800 Speaker 3: there and use Grands Farm similar to what Dad did 572 00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:34,280 Speaker 3: as like an amusement park or theme park to advertise 573 00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:38,160 Speaker 3: our beers, our new beers that we had out. And 574 00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:40,840 Speaker 3: it made perfect sense. I had the ability to buy it. 575 00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:44,600 Speaker 3: My brothers and sisters did not want to see one 576 00:33:44,680 --> 00:33:47,240 Speaker 3: bush owning it. They wanted all of us to either 577 00:33:47,320 --> 00:33:52,560 Speaker 3: sell it or there was no other option at that time. 578 00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:54,840 Speaker 3: Actually we all had to sell it. I said, no, 579 00:33:55,080 --> 00:33:57,600 Speaker 3: that's not what Dad wanted. He wanted us, wanted us 580 00:33:57,640 --> 00:33:59,800 Speaker 3: to keep it in the family. I'm doing that by 581 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:04,360 Speaker 3: making you this offer. Well, it ended up where we 582 00:34:04,400 --> 00:34:08,879 Speaker 3: had a trustee at the time, Wells Fargo. They gave 583 00:34:08,960 --> 00:34:13,839 Speaker 3: us a deadline on when you know, on making an 584 00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:16,280 Speaker 3: offer on the place. We made the offer on the place. 585 00:34:16,800 --> 00:34:21,040 Speaker 3: I did my family and my immediate family, and they 586 00:34:22,280 --> 00:34:26,040 Speaker 3: ended up at the final seconds well, actually, after the 587 00:34:26,080 --> 00:34:29,640 Speaker 3: deadline they came back with an offer. My brothers and 588 00:34:29,680 --> 00:34:33,239 Speaker 3: sisters did to buy it from me, So I ended 589 00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:35,560 Speaker 3: up selling that to them, but it left a bad 590 00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:39,200 Speaker 3: taste in our mouth, and you know, so they're unfortunately 591 00:34:39,320 --> 00:34:40,840 Speaker 3: we just don't even talk anymore. 592 00:34:41,600 --> 00:34:44,839 Speaker 2: Wow. I mean, really, the rise and fall, what a 593 00:34:44,880 --> 00:34:50,480 Speaker 2: wild story. I guess with all of this, these businesses 594 00:34:50,520 --> 00:34:54,000 Speaker 2: and this responsibility, it really can cause a divide. 595 00:34:54,520 --> 00:34:56,640 Speaker 1: I'm so sorry to hear that, but I mean, you 596 00:34:56,680 --> 00:34:57,800 Speaker 1: have an amazing family. 597 00:34:58,040 --> 00:35:00,200 Speaker 2: Like I said, I saw you out one night and 598 00:35:00,239 --> 00:35:03,000 Speaker 2: I saw all your kids there, and it looks like 599 00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:07,040 Speaker 2: you have your own little family has been which is 600 00:35:07,080 --> 00:35:08,840 Speaker 2: not little, because I think you have seven kids of 601 00:35:08,880 --> 00:35:12,439 Speaker 2: your own, don't you. That's correct, yes, yes, so you 602 00:35:12,520 --> 00:35:15,600 Speaker 2: have created quite a little legacy of your own, and 603 00:35:15,680 --> 00:35:18,880 Speaker 2: I hope that that is something that you are very 604 00:35:18,960 --> 00:35:19,319 Speaker 2: proud of. 605 00:35:19,840 --> 00:35:23,439 Speaker 3: Well. I am absolutely proud of my wife and us 606 00:35:23,560 --> 00:35:27,160 Speaker 3: and me what we were able to accomplish with our kids. 607 00:35:27,200 --> 00:35:31,040 Speaker 3: We raised seven beautiful, wonderful kids that we're all very 608 00:35:31,040 --> 00:35:34,960 Speaker 3: proud of. They're both they're all productive, they all love 609 00:35:35,040 --> 00:35:40,000 Speaker 3: the country, they all are good in their society and 610 00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:43,680 Speaker 3: want to do good things. In life, and so what 611 00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:47,520 Speaker 3: more can you ask for? We really appreciate the fact 612 00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:49,640 Speaker 3: that we have them. And yeah, I think you know, 613 00:35:49,680 --> 00:35:52,680 Speaker 3: in any family, especially when you're given a lot, especially 614 00:35:52,719 --> 00:35:55,239 Speaker 3: when you have a lot, there's going to be some tragedy, 615 00:35:56,200 --> 00:35:58,680 Speaker 3: but you know what, it could be worse. And the 616 00:35:58,719 --> 00:36:00,759 Speaker 3: great thing about it is you know we're all still 617 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:03,239 Speaker 3: alive and maybe one day we can work things out. 618 00:36:03,320 --> 00:36:07,120 Speaker 3: But you know, it's just it's difficult when you're given 619 00:36:07,160 --> 00:36:10,600 Speaker 3: so much. All I can say to people out there 620 00:36:10,760 --> 00:36:17,719 Speaker 3: is when you leave your legacy to your kids, make 621 00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:21,040 Speaker 3: sure that you put it all in black and white. 622 00:36:21,080 --> 00:36:23,520 Speaker 3: Don't leave them anything that you can have that they 623 00:36:23,520 --> 00:36:26,279 Speaker 3: can have a big fight over in a way that 624 00:36:26,320 --> 00:36:28,040 Speaker 3: they can have a big fight over. Just put it 625 00:36:28,040 --> 00:36:29,600 Speaker 3: all in black and white, not way you keep the 626 00:36:29,640 --> 00:36:30,520 Speaker 3: lawyers out of it too. 627 00:36:30,960 --> 00:36:33,319 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean great advice because honestly, I've seen it 628 00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:37,360 Speaker 2: in my own family with extended family members who don't speak. 629 00:36:37,400 --> 00:36:40,800 Speaker 2: I think that's probably the most sound advice I've heard 630 00:36:41,239 --> 00:36:44,359 Speaker 2: from on the podcast so far, because people they give 631 00:36:44,400 --> 00:36:47,080 Speaker 2: advice on parenting and everything all the time, but really 632 00:36:47,120 --> 00:36:50,680 Speaker 2: that that's the moment where you want to when you 633 00:36:50,719 --> 00:36:53,040 Speaker 2: are gone, you want to make sure your family is 634 00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:55,120 Speaker 2: still together, and the best way to do that is 635 00:36:55,160 --> 00:36:58,239 Speaker 2: to clear all that up before you're gone, because it's 636 00:36:58,280 --> 00:37:01,360 Speaker 2: amazing how people can just go after each other. 637 00:37:02,160 --> 00:37:05,879 Speaker 3: One hundred percent, there's no doubt about it. And that's 638 00:37:05,920 --> 00:37:09,160 Speaker 3: why I've worked on our estate planning and I take 639 00:37:09,800 --> 00:37:13,960 Speaker 3: a very close interest in it because, yeah, what you know, 640 00:37:14,040 --> 00:37:16,080 Speaker 3: to me, family is everything, and I wanted to see 641 00:37:16,120 --> 00:37:19,759 Speaker 3: my kids always stick together. That's the most important thing 642 00:37:19,800 --> 00:37:20,160 Speaker 3: there is. 643 00:37:20,760 --> 00:37:23,400 Speaker 2: Well, I so appreciate you coming on and sharing today 644 00:37:23,440 --> 00:37:24,640 Speaker 2: and being vulnerable with us. 645 00:37:24,680 --> 00:37:26,799 Speaker 1: Your family story is fascinating. 646 00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:28,680 Speaker 2: I think all of us have kind of looked, like 647 00:37:28,719 --> 00:37:30,720 Speaker 2: I said, looked in from the outside of our entire 648 00:37:30,719 --> 00:37:34,560 Speaker 2: lives at this amazing company that we all saw every 649 00:37:34,880 --> 00:37:37,800 Speaker 2: Sunday or Monday night and our houses, and it became 650 00:37:37,840 --> 00:37:40,600 Speaker 2: a part of you know, after a hard days work 651 00:37:40,640 --> 00:37:42,839 Speaker 2: in the lawn, coming in and cracking a beer. I mean, 652 00:37:42,920 --> 00:37:45,680 Speaker 2: you have been a part of most Americans' lives. So 653 00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:48,680 Speaker 2: Billy Bush, I appreciate you. Thank you well, I. 654 00:37:48,600 --> 00:37:50,640 Speaker 3: Really appreciate it. Tutor. Thank you for having me. 655 00:37:50,600 --> 00:37:54,120 Speaker 2: On, absolutely and thank you all for listening to this podcast. 656 00:37:54,200 --> 00:37:57,200 Speaker 2: For this one and others, go to Tutor dixonpodcast dot com, 657 00:37:57,239 --> 00:38:00,480 Speaker 2: the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your 658 00:38:00,520 --> 00:38:02,359 Speaker 2: podcasts and join us next time. 659 00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:03,359 Speaker 1: Have a blessed day.