Red Bull's Founder: Marketing Conglomerate, Not Just a Drink

Resources

Resources & Recommendations

Articles & Papers

• "Red Bull's Billionaire Maniac" (Bloomberg) - A long-form piece providing an overview of Dietrich Mateschitz's life, business approach, and personality, serving as a primary source for the episode's discussion.

People Mentioned

• Dietrich Mateschitz (Founder of Red Bull) - The central figure of the episode, discussed as a visionary entrepreneur who created the energy drink category and built Red Bull into a global empire.
• Yoovidhya (Thai businessman) - Mateschitz's partner in founding Red Bull, who initially sold the tonic drink in Southeast Asia.
• Richard Branson (Founder of Virgin Group) - Referenced for his similar zest for life and ownership of a private island.
• Steve Jobs (Co-founder of Apple) - Compared to Mateschitz for his obsession with controlling information and creating a consumer cult around his brand.
• Christian Dior (Fashion Designer) - Mentioned for his philosophy on rumors and innuendo as effective free propaganda, which Mateschitz also utilized.
• Edwin Land (Founder of Polaroid) - Cited for his belief that indifference, not staunch opposition, is the biggest enemy of an inventor, a sentiment shared by Mateschitz.
• Paul Van Doren (Founder of Vans) - Referenced for his strategy of targeting underserved niches (skateboarders) to achieve early success, similar to Red Bull's approach to extreme sports.
• Robbie Naish (Windsurfer) - An athlete sponsored by Red Bull, who shared an anecdote about his unusual first meeting with Mateschitz.
• Malcolm Forbes (Publisher) - Mentioned as the previous owner of Mateschitz's private island in Fiji.
• Todd Graves (Founder of Raising Cane's) - An entrepreneur discussed in relation to staying in the details of one's business.
• Matt Paulson (Founder of MarketBeat) - Shared his positive experience with using Ramp for business expenses.
• Cameron Priest - A listener of the podcast who helped translate the German biography of Mateschitz.
• Wolfgang Forwegger (Author) - The author of the only biography about Dietrich Mateschitz, which is only available in German.
• Daniel Ludwig (Entrepreneur) - The subject of the book "The Invisible Billionaire," mentioned for his extreme privacy and efforts to stay out of the press.
• Don Valentine (Founder of Sequoia) - Quoted on the critical importance of storytelling for entrepreneurs.
• James Dyson (Inventor and Founder of Dyson) - Referenced for his realization about the importance of making a product look different from the start.
• Charlie Munger (Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway) - Mentioned for his insights on surfing as a model for understanding business success and the idea that trust is one of the greatest economic forces on Earth.
• Estée Lauder (Founder of Estée Lauder Companies) - Referenced for her marketing strategy of giving away large quantities of product instead of spending on advertising in the early days of her company.
• General George Patton (U.S. Army General) - His speech to the Third Army is referenced for its emphasis on constant advancement, which mirrors Mateschitz's approach to continuously expanding Red Bull's empire.
• Anna Wintour (Editor-in-Chief of Vogue) - Mentioned in comparison to Mateschitz for her dedication to ensuring things are done correctly.
• Brunello Cucinelli (Fashion Designer) - Referenced for his approach to controlling where he does his work, similar to Mateschitz moving Red Bull's headquarters to a small village.
• Ettore Bugatti (Founder of Bugatti) - Referenced for his dedication to his business until his death and building a physical manifestation of his world, similar to Mateschitz.
• George Lucas (Filmmaker) - Mentioned for building Skywalker Ranch, an example of creating a miniature world within the larger world, akin to Mateschitz's approach with Red Bull's headquarters.

Organizations & Institutions

• Unilever - The company where Dietrich Mateschitz worked as a marketing director before founding Red Bull.
• Blendax - A subsidiary of Unilever for which Mateschitz was a marketing director, selling toothpaste.
• Kastner and Partners - The advertising agency founded by Mateschitz's friend, responsible for creating the "Red Bull gives you wings" slogan.
• The Flying Bulls - Red Bull's private aircraft fleet used for events.

Books

• "The Invisible Billionaire" - A book about Daniel Ludwig, mentioned for his extreme privacy and efforts to keep his name out of the press, similar to Mateschitz.
• "Poor Charlie's Almanack" by Charles T. Munger - Referenced for Charlie Munger's insights on surfing as a model for understanding business success.

Websites & Online Resources

• ramp.com - The website for Ramp, a corporate card and expense management platform, presented as a tool for businesses to control costs and automate expense reporting.
• vanta.com/founders - The website for Vanta, a platform that helps companies achieve security compliance, with a special offer for podcast listeners.
• collateral.com - The website for Collateral, a service that transforms complex ideas into compelling narratives for businesses.
• Invest Like the Best podcast, episode 355 (December 5th, 2023) - An episode featuring John Collison interviewing Charlie Munger, specifically mentioned for Munger's insights on trust as an economic force.

Other Resources

• Luna Aqua - A mineral water allegedly drawn at the full moon, served internally at Red Bull company events and to Red Bull athletes.