Dean Metropoulos
Charles Dean Metropoulos | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth year and age Tripoli, Greece |
| Occupation(s) | Investor, businessman |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Known for | Ownership of Pabst Brewing Company; founder of C. Dean Metropoulos & Company |
Charles Dean Metropoulos (; born May 1946 in Tripoli, Greece) is a billionaire investor and businessman of Greek-American heritage. He previously owned the historic Pabst Brewing Company, established in 1844. According to the Forbes 2020 billionaire rankings, he was positioned at #875 with an estimated net worth of $2.6 billion.
Early life
At the age of ten, Metropoulos relocated from Greece to the United States, settling in Watertown, Massachusetts. He earned both a bachelor's degree and an MBA from Babson College located in Wellesley, Massachusetts.
By the time he was 25, he had moved to Geneva, Switzerland, to serve as financial director for GTE International’s operations across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He later returned to the United States to become the youngest controller in the company's history.
Career
Metropoulos’ initial acquisition took place in 1981 with Stella Foods Inc., a cheese manufacturer based in Vermont, which he eventually sold to Robert Bass for $375 million.
His private equity portfolio includes buy-build transactions involving companies such as Pinnacle Foods, Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, International Home Foods, Pabst Brewing Company, The Morningstar Group (later sold to Suiza Foods, now known as Dean Foods), Solar Marine, Bumble Bee Foods, Vlasic Pickles, and champagnes including Mumm's and Perrier-Jouët.
Since founding C. Dean Metropoulos & Company in 1993, headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut, he has served as executive chairman and chief executive officer. By 2011, the firm had completed over 72 acquisitions with invested capital exceeding $12 billion. The company co-owned Hostess Brands alongside Apollo Global Management.
In September 2014, entrepreneur Eugene Kashper, supported by TSG Consumer Partners, purchased Pabst Brewing from Metropoulos & Co for $700 million—$550 million more than its acquisition price in 2010. Another notable brand acquired and later sold by the firm was Bumble Bee Tuna.
On July 7, 2015, speculation arose regarding a possible IPO for Hostess Brands, which Metropoulos promptly denied. Nevertheless, Hostess announced its IPO in July 2016.
In February 2021, Nestlé SA agreed to divest most of its North American bottled water brands—including Poland Spring, Arrowhead, and Pure Life—to Metropoulos & Co and One Rock Capital Partners LLC in a transaction valued at $4.3 billion.
Personal life
Metropoulos lives in Palm Beach, Florida with his wife Marianne, who served as President and Principal of Aegean Entertainment—a Beverly Hills-based film production company—in 2011. They have two sons named Evan and Daren. In 2016, Daren purchased the Playboy Mansion for $100 million.