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Suntory Holdings completes acquisition of Beam Inc.
MUMBAI: Suntory Holdings and Beam Inc announced that Suntory has completed the acquisition of all the outstanding shares of Beam for $83.50 per share on 30 April.
As a result of the transaction, Beam has been renamed Beam Suntory. The new company intends to integrate the spirits business of Suntory Liquors before the end of this year. The transaction creates a company with the strong number three position in the global premium spirits market. Beam Suntory will be headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois and led by chairman and chief executive officer Matt Shattock, who has been CEO of Beam since 2009.
Looking ahead, Beam Suntory aims to achieve growth in markets worldwide, including the United States, the world’s largest spirits market, by leveraging its combined portfolio of leading brands, and its strengthened global distribution network.
“By combining the world leader in Bourbon and Japan’s leading spirits company, we have created a stronger global business with an even better premium portfolio,” said Shattock.
The company’s portfolio is led by its flagship brands Jim Beam and Yamazaki, as well as world renown premium brands including Maker’s Mark, Knob Creek, Hakushu, Hibiki, Kakubin, Teacher’s, Laphroaig, Bowmore, Canadian Club, Courvoisier, Sauza, Pinnacle and Midori.
“We believe the new Beam Suntory will grow by pursuing the global strategy that made Beam so successful,” Shattock added. “We will be focused on continuing our momentum, growing in developed and emerging markets, and building on our combined strengths. Those strengths include a dynamic portfolio across key categories, powerful routes to market and passionate people. I’m particularly excited about what brings us together – a strong cultural fit based on the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit of two companies with common values and proud heritages rooted in multi-generational family businesses. We look forward to learning from each other and to creating a future of exciting growth for our business and opportunities for our people.”
“I am very delighted with the launch of Beam Suntory, which unites Beam and Suntory’s spirits businesses, and I truly believe Beam Suntory will continue to grow strongly in the global spirits industry,” said Suntory Holdings president and chairman Nobutada Saji.
“Since its founding, Suntory Group has always shared the spirit of ‘Yatte Minahare – Go for it!’ in taking on new challenges, creating new opportunities, and living our corporate values. Beam’s heritage of over 200 years is also characterized by a spirit of entrepreneurialism, creativity and courageous decisions that exemplify the same ‘Yatte Minahare’ spirit. I believe this common spirit and our combined strengths will be a powerful driving force as the new Beam Suntory excites consumers around the world with our portfolio of premium brands. At the same time, Beam Suntory will remain true to Suntory’s corporate philosophy, ‘In Harmony with People and Nature,’ in developing a rich experience of life based on real needs in the communities in which we do business, coexisting with people and their nature surroundings.”
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Three senior OpenAI infrastructure executives join Meta
Key members of Stargate project move to rival amid aggressive AI spending race.
MUMBAI: Three key architects of OpenAI’s ambitious data centre plans have switched sides and joined Meta Platforms, according to people familiar with the matter. Peter Hoeschele, who played a central role in OpenAI’s high-profile Stargate initiative, is among the new hires. He is joined by Shamez Hemani, who focused on computing strategy and business development, and Anuj Saharan, another leader in the computing organisation. The Information first reported their departure from OpenAI on Thursday.
The moves come as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has pledged to spend aggressively on AI infrastructure. The company is projecting capital expenditure of up to $135 billion this year alone, with hundreds of billions more expected before the end of the decade to support its Meta Superintelligence Labs and new models such as Muse Spark.
OpenAI, which is pushing ahead with massive data centre expansion, had described its early lead in securing computing power as a competitive advantage. Stargate, originally announced last year as a $500 billion venture involving OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank, has since become an umbrella term for the company’s broader data centre ambitions. However, the project has seen recent adjustments, including a pause on its UK plans and the decision not to expand the Abilene, Texas site.
A spokesperson for Meta declined to comment, while Hoeschele, Hemani, and Saharan also declined to comment. OpenAI said it was grateful for the contributions of the three employees and remains focused on hiring talent for its infrastructure plans. The company recently brought in former Intel executive Sachin Katti to lead its industrial compute efforts.
In the high-stakes race to build the future of artificial intelligence, talent is proving to be as valuable as computing power itself. Meta’s latest hires suggest the competition for top infrastructure minds is intensifying, even as OpenAI continues to scale its own ambitious projects. The move highlights how quickly the AI talent war is heating up across Silicon Valley.
