Dietrich Mateschitz

Dietrich Mateschitz
Dietrich Mateschitz
Born	Dietrich Markwart Eberhart Mateschitz; 20 May 1944 (age 82); Sankt Marein im Mürztal, Styria, Austria
Died	22 October 2022 (aged 78); St. Wolfgang im Salzkammergut, Austria
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, businessman
Years active	1970s–2022
Known for	Co-founder and 49% owner of Red Bull GmbH; owner of Red Bull Racing and football clubs FC Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig
Notable work	Founder of Red Bull energy drink brand; founder of Wings for Life foundation; founder of World Stunt Awards

Dietrich Markwart Eberhart Mateschitz (20 May 1944 – 22 October 2022) was an Austrian billionaire entrepreneur, recognized as the co-founder and holder of a 49% stake in Red Bull GmbH. By April 2022, his estimated net worth reached approximately US$27.4 billion.

Before discovering the Thai energy beverage Krating Daeng, Mateschitz gained experience in marketing roles at Unilever and Blendax. He then transformed Krating Daeng into the internationally known Red Bull brand. Establishing Red Bull GmbH in 1984, he introduced the drink to the Austrian market three years later. The company broadened its reach by acquiring or founding multiple sports organizations worldwide, including the six-time Constructors' Champion team Red Bull Racing and its sister team Scuderia AlphaTauri in Formula One, as well as football clubs like FC Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig.

Early life and education

Born on 20 May 1944 in Sankt Marein im Mürztal, Styria, Austria, Mateschitz came from a family with Slovene-Styrian or Croatian roots. Both of his parents were educators originating from areas now located within Austria and Slovenia. He described himself as a "Styrian cosmopolitan." His academic journey led him to the Hochschule für Welthandel (currently known as Vienna University of Economics and Business), where he earned a degree in marketing in 1972 after a decade of study. From a young age, he demonstrated enthusiasm for extreme sports.

Career

Mateschitz launched his professional path at Unilever, focusing on detergent marketing, before transitioning to Blendax, a German cosmetics company later integrated into Procter & Gamble, where he specialized in promoting toothpaste products. It was during his business trips for Blendax that he encountered the Thai energy drink Krating Daeng, which served as the inspiration for Red Bull. Seeing its potential appeal in European markets, he collaborated with Thai entrepreneur Chaleo Yoovidhya, who had effectively marketed Krating Daeng among truck drivers and industrial workers.

In 1984, Mateschitz and Yoovidhya co-established Red Bull GmbH, officially launching the brand in Austria by 1987. Following three years dedicated to refining the product, they introduced the adapted formula under the Red Bull name, which rapidly rose to prominence as a leader within the global energy drink sector.

Apart from his involvement in beverages, Mateschitz owned Seitenblicke, Austria’s foremost society magazine, yet maintained a discreet public presence, often preferring to watch Formula One events on television despite owning two teams. In 2007, he founded Media House Austria, a provider of digital entertainment content and extensive footage for broadcasting outlets.

His portfolio also included ownership of ServusTV, a television station based in Salzburg noted for its conservative orientation and criticized for minimizing the significance of the COVID-19 pandemic. The channel was among only three granted entry to the 2016 "Defenders of Europe" conference featuring right-wing activists. In that same year, when employees attempted to establish a works council, Mateschitz initially threatened to shut down ServusTV but later rescinded this decision after no council was formed.

Sports

Brands under Mateschitz’s leadership were consistently promoted as embodying the physical endurance and mental toughness associated with extreme sports such as surfing, skydiving, cliff diving, winter sports disciplines, and mountain biking through targeted sponsorships. Under his guidance, Red Bull became synonymous with pioneering and aggressive marketing within the extreme sports arena. A notable milestone was the 2012 Red Bull Stratos project involving Felix Baumgartner’s record-setting high-altitude skydive, which significantly advanced Red Bull’s presence in extreme sports marketing.

Motorsport

Red Bull previously held a majority stake exceeding 60% in the Sauber Formula One team and acted as its primary sponsor; however, this collaboration ended in 2001 after Sauber opted to sign Kimi Räikkönen instead of Red Bull’s favored driver Enrique Bernoldi. In November 2004, Mateschitz acquired the financially troubled Jaguar Racing F1 team from Ford for a nominal fee of $1, subsequently rebranding it as Red Bull Racing for the 2005 season. He appointed Christian Horner to lead the team as principal and secured the services of renowned engineer Adrian Newey with an annual salary of $10 million.

In 2005, Mateschitz and Gerhard Berger took ownership of the Minardi team, which was transformed into Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2006 to function as a developmental squad for Red Bull Racing; this team was later renamed AlphaTauri in 2020 and then Visa Cash App RB in 2024.

Sebastian Vettel achieved victory at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix driving for Toro Rosso and earned Red Bull Racing its inaugural win at the 2009 Chinese Grand Prix. Between 2010 and 2013, Red Bull Racing dominated by securing four straight Constructors' and Drivers' Championships with Vettel at the helm. Following an eight-year period without titles during the turbo-hybrid engine era and amid strained relations with Renault, Red Bull reclaimed supremacy by winning the Drivers' Championship with Max Verstappen in 2021 and successfully defending it in 2022, thereby ending Mercedes’ seven-year championship run.

From 2006 until 2011, Mateschitz also owned Team Red Bull, which competed in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series and K&N Pro Series East.

In late 2004, he purchased the Österreichring circuit, renaming it the Red Bull Ring. The track reopened in 2011, hosting Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters races. Although initially reluctant about Formula One’s return to Austria, Red Bull played a key role in reinstating the Austrian Grand Prix at this venue in 2014, an event won by Nico Rosberg representing Mercedes.

Football and ice hockey

In April 2005, Mateschitz acquired Austrian football club SV Austria Salzburg, followed by the purchase of American soccer team MetroStars in March 2006; both clubs were subsequently rebranded as FC Red Bull Salzburg and New York Red Bulls. In 2007, Red Bull established Red Bull Brasil based in Campinas, São Paulo, and later expanded its presence by acquiring Clube Atlético Bragantino in São Paulo in 2019. The company also founded Red Bull Ghana, a football academy located in Sogakope in 2008, which was sold to Dutch club Feyenoord in 2014.

In May 2009, he founded German football club RB Leipzig by obtaining the license from SSV Markranstädt. Beginning their journey in the fifth-tier Oberliga, RB Leipzig progressed rapidly to reach the Bundesliga by 2016, advanced to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals in 2020, and claimed victories in the DFB-Pokal tournaments of 2022 and 2023, as well as securing the DFL-Supercup title in 2023.

Mateschitz also owned ice hockey teams EC Red Bull Salzburg and EHC Red Bull München, which were acquired and rebranded in 2000 and 2012 respectively.

Philanthropic Endeavors

Together with Heinz Kinigadner, Mateschitz established the Wings for Life foundation, which is dedicated to advancing spinal cord injury research. Since 2014, the foundation has generated funds through the Wings for Life World Run. Additionally, he contributed €70 million personally to Paracelsus Medical University to support the creation of a specialized spinal cord injury research facility.

He was also the founder of the World Stunt Awards, an annual event that raises money for the Taurus Foundation, an organization focused on aiding stunt performers who have sustained injuries.

Personal Life and Passing

Mateschitz remained unmarried throughout his life but fathered a son, Mark, born in May 1992, who held the position of managing director at one of his investment firms when Mateschitz passed away. Despite his significant role in Formula One, he was known for his discreet nature, seldom granting interviews or speaking about his family. His typical style was understated, often seen in casual clothing paired with sunglasses. He shared a nine-year relationship with Anita Gerhardter, Mark’s mother, and later was involved with Marion Feichtner.

A passionate aviator, Mateschitz owned a private hangar housing vintage aircraft, including the final Douglas DC-6B ever manufactured. In 2017, he and RB Leipzig encountered criticism following his contentious remarks endorsing border closures and populist views amid the European migrant crisis.

His primary residence was in Fuschl am See, Austria, and he possessed Laucala Island in Fiji, acquired for £7 million. He dedicated substantial funds to preserving properties in the Austrian Alps, focusing on both conservation and personal enjoyment.

Reportedly, he consumed between 10 and 12 cans of Red Bull daily. Mateschitz died at 78 years old on 22 October 2022 due to pancreatic cancer after a lengthy illness at his home in St. Wolfgang im Salzkammergut.

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