11 Obscure Companies That Own Nearly Every Famous Brand

Many products you buy and restaurants you visit are owned by a small number of giant but relatively obscure companies. Here are 11 that are behind an incredible number of famous brands.

1. Unilever:

Q-Tips; Vaseline; Axe body spray; Dove soaps and shampoos; Suave shampoos and lotions; Noxzema and Pond's skin creams; Hellmann's mayonnaise, Lipton tea and Knorr soups; Breyers, Ben & Jerry's, Good Humor, Klondike, Magnum and Popsicle brands.

1. Mondelez:

Oreo, Fig Newtons, Chips Ahoy, Nilla, Tate's Bake Shop and Nutter Butter; Wheat Thins, Ritz, Triscuit and Nabisco Premium saltines; Sour Patch Kids candy, Dentyne gum and Halls cough drops.

1. Berkshire Hathaway:

Dairy Queen, Fruit of the Loom, Geico insurance, Helzberg Diamonds, Pampered Chef kitchen tools and Benjamin Moore paints; Duracell batteries, Oriental Trading party supplies, Garanimals kids clothing and See's Candies.

1. RBI:

Burger King, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen.

1. JAB Holding Co:

JAB now owns nearly every coffee and bakery brand other than Starbucks. Krispy Kreme; Einstein Bros. Bagels; Panera Bread; Caribou Coffee; Bruegger's Bagels; Peet's Coffee; and Au Bon Pain; Keurig coffee makers and Green Mountain coffee; Dr Pepper and Snapple soft drinks.

1. Reckitt Benckister:

Mucinex cold and flu medicine; Gaviscon antacid; Clearasil acne cream; Durex condoms; and Veet hair remover; Air Wick air fresheners; Lysol cleaners; Calgon water softener; Finish dishwashing products; and Woolite laundry detergent.

1. Conagra:

Blue Bonnet, Earth Balance, Fleischmann's, Gulden's mustard, Pam, Parkay, Peter Pan peanut butter, Smart Balance, Wesson; Chef Boyardee, Hunt's tomato products, La Choy, Libby's canned meats, Manwich, Rosarita, Ro-Tel, Van Camp's Pork and Beans, Wolf Brand Chili; Alexia, Banquet, Bertolli, Birds Eye, Celeste Pizza for One, Evol, Healthy Choice, Hungry-Man, Marie Callender's, Mrs. Paul's, P.F. Chang's Home Menu, Van de Kamp's; Act II, Angie's Boomchickapop, Crunch 'n Munch, Fiddle Faddle, Jiffy Pop, Orville Redenbacher's, Poppycock; Andy Capp's Hot Fries, David Seeds, Duncan Hines cake mixes, Frontera chips, salsas and sauces, Reddi-wip, Slim Jim, Snack Pack pudding, Snyder of Berlin chips and pretzels, Swiss Miss; Aunt Jemima, Log Cabin, Mrs. Butterworth's, Open Pit, Wish-Bone; Egg Beaters, Gardein, Hebrew National franks, Lender's bagels, Udi's Gluten Free, Vlasic pickles.

1. Diageo:

Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal and J&B whisky; Smirnoff and Ketel One vodka; Gordon's, Tanqueray and Gilbey's gin; Captain Morgan rum; Don Julio tequila; and Baileys liqueur; Guinness stout.

1. Roark Capital:

Arby's, Auntie Anne's Pretzels, Buffalo Wild Wings, Carl's Jr, Carvel Ice Cream, Cinnabon, Corner Bakery, Hardee's, Il Fornaio, Jamba Juice, Jimmy John's, Miller's Ale House, Moe's Southwest Grill, Naf Naf Middle Eastern Grill, Rusty Taco, Sonic and Schlotzsky’s; Pet Supermarket and Pet Valu stores; Batteries Plus Bulbs; MAACO and Meineke auto repair shops; Anytime Fitness and Orangetheory Fitness; Great Expressions Dental Centers; and Massage Envy.

1. Mars:

Life Savers; M&M's; Altoids; Skittles; Wrigley's Spearmint, Juicy Fruit, Eclipse and Big Red gum; Snickers, Milky Way, Twix and 3 Musketeers candy bars; Uncle Ben's rices; and Seeds of Change and Tasty Bite rices and sauces; Pedigree, Whiskas and Royal Canin; Nutro, Greenies, Sheba, Cesar, Iams and Eukanuba pet products.

1. Darden Restaurants:

Eddie V's Prime Seafood, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Yard House and Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/11-obscure-companies-own-nearly-172545496.html