Chalerm Yoovidhya
Chalerm Yoovidhya (born c. 1950) is a Thai billionaire businessman and patriarch of the Yoovidhya family, which co-owns Red Bull GmbH, the Austrian company behind the globally dominant energy drink brand that sold more than 12 billion cans worldwide in 2024.[1] As of July 2025, Forbes estimates the family's collective net worth at $44.5 billion, marking them as Thailand's richest for the second consecutive year amid robust sales growth for the beverage.[1][2] The eldest son of Chaleo Yoovidhya, who originated Krating Daeng—the Thai tonic drink that inspired Red Bull's formula in partnership with Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz—Yoovidhya has steered the family's 51% stake in the company since his father's death in 2012, contributing to its transformation into a multinational empire spanning beverages, sports sponsorships, and media ventures.[3] Under his leadership, the Yoovidhya clan's holdings through the TCP Group have diversified into areas like winemaking via Siam Winery, while maintaining a low public profile focused on business expansion rather than personal visibility.[4] In June 2025, Yoovidhya transferred his personal 2% direct stake in Red Bull GmbH—valued at approximately $1.1 billion—to a Geneva-based trust firm, a move amid internal company restructuring but not altering the family's controlling interest.[5]Early life
Birth and family origins
Chalerm Yoovidhya was born in September 1950.[6] He is the eldest son of Chaleo Yoovidhya (1923–2012), the Thai entrepreneur who founded the TCP Group pharmaceutical company in 1956 and later developed the Krating Daeng energy drink in 1976.[1][7] The Yoovidhya family's roots trace to Chinese immigrants who settled in Thailand's Phichit Province in northern Thailand. Chaleo was born on August 17, 1923, as the third of five children to parents who supported their household through poverty by raising ducks and selling fruit at local markets.[7][8] This agrarian, labor-intensive background shaped Chaleo's early years, during which he left formal education young to contribute to family work before apprenticing as a pharmacist and relocating to Bangkok to establish his business ventures.[9][10]Initial involvement in family enterprises
Chalerm Yoovidhya, the eldest son of Chaleo Yoovidhya, entered the family-owned T.C. Pharmaceutical Group (TCP Group) during its growth into beverage production in the mid-1970s. Founded by Chaleo in 1956 as a manufacturer of over-the-counter medicines such as antibiotics and remedies for headaches and fever, the enterprise expanded under his leadership to include energy tonics targeted at laborers and truck drivers.[11][12] In 1976, TCP Group introduced Krating Daeng, a non-carbonated energy drink containing caffeine, taurine, and herbal extracts, initially sold in glass bottles to boost stamina for manual workers. Chalerm's involvement aligned with this diversification, as the family business shifted from pharmaceuticals to consumer products amid rising demand for functional beverages in Thailand.[11] By 1984, Chalerm participated in the formation of Red Bull GmbH through a joint venture between his father and Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz, who adapted Krating Daeng into a carbonated version for Western markets; Chalerm personally acquired a 2% stake in the new entity, which he has retained for over four decades. This marked his direct entry into the international operations of the family enterprises, focusing on export and global branding while TCP retained control of the domestic Krating Daeng production.[5][3]Business career
Role in TCP Group and Krating Daeng
Chalerm Yoovidhya succeeded his father, Chaleo Yoovidhya, as the patriarch and controlling figure of the TCP Group after Chaleo's death on March 17, 2012.[13][11] The TCP Group, founded by Chaleo in 1956 as T.C. Pharmaceuticals to manufacture and distribute herbal medicines and antibiotics like TC-MYCIN, shifted focus under his leadership to consumer products, culminating in the 1976 launch of Krating Daeng, a carbonated energy drink formulated with caffeine, taurine, and herbal extracts to alleviate fatigue among Thai truck drivers, laborers, and farmers.[12][3][14] As head of the family-controlled entity, Chalerm has directed TCP Group's stewardship of Krating Daeng, ensuring its production remains centered in Thailand while overseeing distribution across domestic markets and select Asian regions, where it competes as the original formulation distinct from the internationally adapted Red Bull brand.[15][3] TCP Group, under Chalerm's influence, manages intellectual property for the Krating Daeng trademark—depicting charging red gaur (wild cattle) to symbolize vitality—and has pursued expansions such as joint ventures in China since 2020 to counter counterfeit versions and boost legitimate sales.[16][17] His son, Sarawut Yoovidhya, operates as TCP Group's CEO, implementing operational strategies aligned with family oversight, including sustainability initiatives and product diversification beyond energy drinks into pharmaceuticals and consumer goods.[15][3] Chalerm's tenure has sustained Krating Daeng's market dominance in Thailand, where annual sales contribute significantly to TCP's revenue, reportedly exceeding those of imported energy drink rivals through localized marketing and pricing.[15] The group's emphasis on quality control and anti-counterfeiting measures, including trademark enforcement, reflects a strategic focus on preserving the brand's authenticity amid regional competition.[16]Co-ownership and expansion of Red Bull GmbH
Chalerm Yoovidhya, as the eldest son and heir of Red Bull co-founder Chaleo Yoovidhya, oversees the family's controlling 51% stake in Red Bull GmbH, the Austrian company established in 1984 through a partnership between Chaleo and Dietrich Mateschitz.[1] This ownership split—51% allocated to the Yoovidhya family and 49% to Mateschitz—reflected an initial equal investment of $500,000 each but was structured to grant the Thai side majority control, enabling the adaptation of Thailand's Krating Daeng tonic into the Western-market Red Bull energy drink launched in Austria in 1987.[3] Chalerm's personal involvement includes holding a portion of this stake individually until May 31, 2025, when he transferred his 2% share, valued at approximately $1.1 billion, to Fides Trustees, a Geneva-based firm, amid efforts to maintain family influence without diluting overall Thai ownership.[5][18] The co-ownership model facilitated Red Bull GmbH's aggressive global expansion, with Mateschitz directing operations from Austria while the Yoovidhya stake provided financial backing and strategic stability rooted in the original formula's Asian origins.[3] By the early 2000s, the company had entered over 100 markets, leveraging innovative marketing tied to extreme sports, aviation (e.g., Red Bull Air Race), and motorsports, which propelled annual sales beyond 1 billion cans by 2008.[19] This growth extended to acquisitions and sponsorships, including full ownership of FC Red Bull Salzburg in 2005, the formation of RB Leipzig in 2009, and the New York Red Bulls MLS team, alongside entry into Formula One racing via the Red Bull Racing team in 2005, all funded through escalating revenues that reached €10.5 billion in fiscal 2024 despite a profit dip.[19][20] Post-Mateschitz's death in October 2022, Chalerm's family retained veto power through the 51% holding, influencing governance as Mark Mateschitz assumed the 49% side, with recent dividends totaling €1.6 billion in 2025 underscoring the structure's profitability amid diversification into non-beverage ventures like media production and aviation events.[19] Since 2016, family members have increasingly managed Red Bull operations in Thailand, aligning local production with global supply chains that support exports to over 170 countries, though primary expansion credit remains with Mateschitz-era innovations in branding and distribution.[1] The enduring co-ownership has preserved the company's private status, avoiding public market pressures and enabling sustained investment in high-risk, high-reward sectors that have elevated Red Bull's valuation to around $55 billion as of 2025.[5]Wealth and economic impact
Net worth and Forbes rankings
As of July 2, 2025, Forbes estimates the collective net worth of Chalerm Yoovidhya and his family at $44.5 billion, derived principally from their 51% ownership stake in Red Bull GmbH, the Austrian company behind the global energy drink brand.[1] [21] This figure represents a 24% increase from the prior year, driven by Red Bull's robust sales exceeding 12 billion cans worldwide in 2024.[2] The valuation places Chalerm Yoovidhya and family at the top of Forbes' Thailand's 50 Richest list for the second consecutive year, surpassing the Chearavanont brothers of the CP Group, whose wealth stands at $35.7 billion.[21] [22] In 2024, Forbes valued the family's net worth at $36 billion, maintaining their position as Thailand's richest amid steady growth in Red Bull's international revenue. Chalerm, as the eldest son of Red Bull co-founder Chaleo Yoovidhya, represents the family's holdings, which include a minor personal stake alongside broader clan interests managed through entities like Red Bull Thailand.[1] No specific global Forbes billionaires ranking is attributed solely to Chalerm individually, as the listing aggregates family wealth tied to the Red Bull enterprise.[21]| Year | Net Worth (USD) | Thailand's 50 Richest Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $44.5 billion | 1 |
| 2024 | $36 billion | 1 |