30+ Formerly American Companies

Original Headquarters: South Burlington, Vermont
Purchased By: Unilever
Country: England

Ben & Jerry’s, an ice cream corporation, has established itself as a cultural icon. The brand is recognized in numerous films and television shows as one of America’s most popular dishes. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, best friends, opened their own parlor in 1978. Ben & Jerry’s announced in 2000 that company had been acquired by the London-based corporation Unilever. The deal was struck for $326 million, with Unilever outbidding three other corporations for the buyout. The acquisition served to strengthen Unilever’s portfolio.

Original Headquarters: Miami, Florida
Purchased By: Restaurant Brands International
Country: Canada

Fast food has long been an institution in the United States, with several well-known brands, notably Burger King, reaping enormous profits. James McLamore and David Egerton founded “Insta Burger King” in Miami in 1954. They had no idea they’d be developing an international brand. Burger King made its first sale just over ten years later. It has since been held by a number of different companies. Restaurant Brands International, a Canadian business that merged with Tim Horton’s in 2020, now owns the Big Whopper. BK still receives financial support from NYC’s 3G Capital.

Original Headquarters: Monrovia, California
Purchased By: Theo Albrecht
Country: Germany

Convenience stores have always faced tough competition, especially if they are located in densely populated areas. Back in 1967, Joe Coulombe began carrying rare and difficult-to-find delicacies in an attempt to encourage people to buy with him rather than 7-Eleven. It works. That store remains operational today, but Joe sold Trader Joe’s in 1979. Theo Albrecht, the owner of Aldi Nord, became the new owner. Aldi is a large supermarket company, therefore the Albrechts have a lot of money. Theo is reported to be worth more than $16 billion due to his clever investments.

Original Headquarters: Los Angeles, California
Purchased By: Gildan Activewear
Country: Canada

For consumers, one of the most enticing parts of clothing company American Apparel was their tagline, “Made in the USA – Sweatshop free.” This was an excellent brand for the conscious shopper. Everything ran swimmingly for the company until 2015, when it went bankrupt and struggled to get back on track. In 2017, Canadian business Gildan Activewear stepped in to save the day, purchasing both the American Apparel name and the production equipment. It was not inexpensive, costing a total of $88 million. As a result, American Apparel has survived to fight another day, albeit as a Canadian.

Original Headquarters: Dallas, Texas
Purchased By: Seven & i Holdings
Country: Japan

Every great firm began with a single person and a dream. 7-Eleven was no different. In 1927, Jefferson Green was simply an everyday person working for Southland Ice when he began to expand his menu, offering clients eggs, bread, and milk. This business strategy was successful, especially after he changed the name to 7-Eleven after the store’s opening hours. As the decades passed, 7-Eleven became a household name in America, with more locations than Jefferson Green could have imagined. However, it did not escape the 1987 financial meltdown untouched. Ito-Yokado, a Japanese corporation, bought it. It is now part of its parent firm, Seven & i Holdings.

Original Headquarters: Miami, Florida
Purchased By: Luxottica Group
Country: Italy 

Sunglass Hut is the one-stop store for all your eyewear needs. The company has storefronts in India, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and other countries, offering both clear and tinted spectacles. Of course, it started in Miami, Florida, as the invention of optometrist Sanford Ziff. Sunglass Hut was sold five years after opening its 100th store, in 1986. It is now owned by the Luxottica Group, who paid a whopping $653 million for it in 2001. At the time, there were more than 1,300 stores. Nearly 2,000 now exist worldwide, with 81 in the United States.

Original Headquarters: Memphis, Tennessee
Purchased By: Intercontinental Hotels
Country: England

It’s hard to believe now, but in 1952, Holiday Inn was merely a solitary motel on the road from Memphis to Nashville. Kemmons Wilson first came up with the notion after having a bad experience on a family road trip to Washington, D.C. By 1953, Wilson had formed a partnership with Wallace E. Johnson to establish more locations. In the late 1980s, the well-established hotel chain was purchased by the Intercontinental Hotels Group, an English firm. IHG continues to own Holiday Inn sites, demonstrating that it was a wise investment.

Original Headquarters: Smithfield, VA
Purchased By: WH Group
Country: Hong Kong

Smithfield Foods is the undisputed leader in the production of pork-based products. Joseph W. Luter and his son founded the company in 1936, and it has been operating ever since. The company evolved steadily over time to become one of the largest in the sector, with over 500 farms in America alone. In 2013, WH Group paid an astounding $4.72 billion for Smithfield Foods. At the time, it was the most costly acquisition by a Chinese corporation in America. So, while Smithfield’s headquarters are in Smithfield, Virginia, the corporation is operated from Luohe, Henan province.

Original Headquarters: Tampa Bay, Florida
Purchased By: Dalian Wanda Group
Country: China

The Ironman competition began as part of the Hawaii Triathlon Corporation before being acquired by Dr. James P. Gills in 1990. At the time, the transaction was worth $3 million. Since then, it has grown into a much larger entity than before. It was sold to Providence Equity Securities in 2008 for a lucrative $85 million before being acquired by the Dalian Wanda Group in 2015. Ironman was purchased for $650 million by the well-known Chinese firm, which also assumed the remaining debt. Although the company was successful prior to the acquisition, Wanda was particularly pleased with the 40% year-over-year net increase.

Original Headquarters: Jersey City, New Jersey
Purchased By: Integrated Whale Media
Country: China

Forbes released its debut edition in September 1917. Over the last 102 years, it has evolved into a trusted publication that publishes definitive rankings of both companies and personalities, as well as popular lists such as 30 Under 30 and World’s Most Powerful 100 Women. Although it is frequently referred to as an American publication and is still headquartered in the United States, the corporation has not been owned by Americans in a long time. Integrated Whale Media Investments, a Hong Kong-based corporation, paid around $400 million for the magazine in 2014. However, readers are unlikely to have noticed the difference.

Original Headquarters: Charlotte, North Carolina
Purchased By: Techtronic Industries
Country: China

Dirt Devil vacuum cleaners have been keeping America’s homes clean for 115 years, since Philip Geier created them in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1905. Since then, the range has expanded, with over 25 million devices sold, thanks in large part to its innovative Cyclone system. Techtronic Industries, a Chinese corporation, now owns Dirt Devil, however it is not its only household appliance brand. TI also purchased Hoover few years ago, giving the Hong Kong-based business a sizable global appliance investment portfolio. Dirt Devil maintains its headquarters in North Carolina.

Original Headquarters: Youngstown, Ohio
Purchased By: Unilever
Country: England

Good Humor ice cream is more popular among baby boomers. Many enthusiasts recall the 100-year-old company and its accompanying ice cream trucks. Once it began in Ohio in the 1920s, there was no stopping the corporation as it grew throughout America. Unilever’s Thomas J. Lipton bought the company in 1961. Although Lipton ran the British-Dutch company’s US division, there’s no arguing that Good Humor lost its purely American identity and gained something more. The brand grew to encompass many more products, sustaining a loyal customer base across generations.

Original Headquarters: Nashville, Tennessee
Purchased By: Bridgestone
Country: Japan

Nestle’s brand is more commonly connected with food than pet products, but that didn’t stop the Swiss business from purchasing Purina for $10.3 billion in December 2001. Nestle decided to merge its original pet food company, Friskies PetCare, with Purina. In 1894, the original founders, William H. Danforth, George Robinson, and William Andrews, started feeding farm animals. They were blissfully ignorant that this simple invention would make them extremely wealthy men. The brand remains a mainstay in many families around the world, not just in America.

Original Headquarters: Nashville, Tennessee
Purchased By: Bridgestone
Country: Japan

Firestone Tire was offered a merger with Italian manufacturer Pirelli in 1988, but the transaction did not work out. Instead, Firestone agreed to sell to Bridgestone Corp. The Tokyo-based corporation spent $2.6 million on the acquisition, which equates to $80 per share. At the time, it helped Bridgestone become the country’s second-largest tire maker. “The Bridgestone offer achieves our goal of increasing shareholder value and will significantly improve the employment security and career opportunities available to the men and women employed by Firestone’s existing businesses,” Firestone said in a statement published in the Los Angeles Times.

Original Headquarters: Florham Park, New Jersey
Purchased By: Nestle
Country: Switzerland

Nestle made headlines again in 2007 when it revealed plans to acquire Gerber Products Company for $5.5 billion. Nestle made a wise decision by acquiring the baby food retailer, which gave them the largest share of the global baby food market. As a market, it is notoriously profitable. Gerber has been assisting parents throughout the world since 1927, when Daniel Frank Gerber’s wife began making baby food for their daughter, Sally. Daniel had a lightbulb moment. Within no time, he had five goods ready for market. That number has risen dramatically since then.

Original Headquarters: New York City
Purchased By: Unilever
Country: England

Hellman’s mayonnaise is a refrigerator staple in most homes. That is the responsibility of one individual. Richard Hellmann, a German-born chef, created the recipe in 1905, putting his own spin on a French condiment and introducing it to America. Customers at Hellman’s delicatessen raved about it, so he marketed it on his own. By 1932, he had sold to Best Foods, where it remained for another 70 years. Unilever purchased the company in 2000, spending $20.3 billion on the brand, which began as a basic sauce in New York City.

Original Headquarters: Houston, Texas
Purchased By: Petróleos de Venezuela
Country: Venezuela

Citgo was formed in 1910 in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and has since grown into a well-known refiner and marketer of fuels and other products. Petróleos de Venezuela, a Venezuelan firm, purchased 50% of Citgo in 1986 and became the brand’s parent company. The company’s journey has not always been easy. In 2010, President Hugo Chavez announced plans to sell Citgo, citing “bad business” and declining earnings. However, the sale was never completed, and bonds were sold instead. During an economic downturn in 2013, it was offered to Russia as collateral for a debt, with its future growing increasingly dubious.

Original Headquarters: Boston, MA
Purchased By: Haier (Appliances division only)
Country: China

General Electric may have begun as a small brand when it was created in 1892, but the corporation has expanded dramatically since then. Now, GE is involved in a variety of industries, including aviation, healthcare, electricity, and venture capital. It is a giant. Many Americans find the brand appealing because its items have the “Made in America” label. However, it is worth noting that GE sold its Appliances section to the Chinese company Haier in 2016. Haier acquired the company from GE for $5.4 billion, a record-breaking sum at the time.

Original Headquarters: Schaumburg, Illinois
Purchased By: Lenovo
Country: China

Motorola may be most known for its technology, but it was formed in 1928, before mobile phones were even a thought. After slowly increasing over the years, the company earned popularity with its flip phones and other products until being acquired to Google, who later sold it to Chinese manufacturer Lenovo in 2014. Google did not profit on the sale, as they purchased Motorola for $12.5 billion in 2012 before selling it for only $2.9 billion two years later. No one really understands the maneuver or why Google was so willing to take a $10 billion loss.

Original Headquarters: Armonk, New York
Purchased By: Lenovo
Country: China

IBM has been helping America stay on top of technology since 1911, albeit it was more concerned with business machines than computers at the time. The company has an intriguing and lengthy history, not least since the PC segment was sold to Lenovo in 2004 for $1.75 billion. “As Lenovo’s founder, I am excited by this breakthrough in Lenovo’s journey towards becoming an international company,” remarked Chuanzhi Liu, the CEO at the time. On the other hand, IBM CEO Sam Palmisano stated, “Today’s announcement strengthens IBM’s ability to seize the highest-value opportunities in a rapidly changing information technology industry.”

Original Headquarters: Burbank, CA
Purchased By: Dalian Wanda Group
Country: China

After successfully purchasing AMC and testing the waters in the film industry, Dalian Wanda decided to boost the ante in 2016 by establishing their own movie studio. Legendary Entertainment Group transferred ownership to the investment firm for a comfortable $3.5 billion. Dalian Wanda intended to fully integrate LEG into its existing portfolio of brands, but instead chose to leave it running as usual for the time being. Since the agreement was reached four years ago, films such as Kong: Skull Island, Pacific Rim: Uprising, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and Skyscraper have been produced.

Original Headquarters: Ohio
Purchased By: Techtronic Industries
Country: China

Hoover has been a trusted appliance brand in America since its inception in 1908. Over the years, William Henry Hoover’s company developed an iconic brand. Despite keeping things local until 2006, Hoover sold to Techtronic Industries for $107 million. While Hoover has a headquarters in North Carolina, its parent corporation operates from its central office in Hong Kong. Techtronic is a massive firm with over 30,000 employees and yearly sales of more than $7.7 billion. Hoover may not be American anymore, but it is in capable hands.

Original Headquarters: Fort Wayne, Indiana
Purchased By: Electrolux
Country: Sweden

Original Headquarters: Chicago, IL
Purchased By: Anbang Insurance Group
Country: China

Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc is a hotel network that operates 17 premium hotels in the United States and, uniquely, one property in Germany. Laurence S. Geller, a real estate investor and philanthropist, launched the successful company in 1997. Anbang Insurance Group, a Chinese corporation, acquired the company in 2016 for an estimated $6.5 million. The first transaction fell through, however, and they ended up purchasing the company for $1 million less since one of their properties was prohibited from being transferred by the US government due to its proximity to a navy installation.

Original Headquarters: Elkhart, Indiana
Purchased By: Bayer
Country: Germany

Alka-Seltzer is one of the oldest branded medicines on the market. Dr. Miles Medicine Company released the antacid and pain relief drink in 1931. Although the corporation remained American for a long time, it was eventually sold to Bayer, a German company, in 1978. Bayer has a track record of working with the greatest pharmaceutical companies. Back in 2004, Bayer collaborated with GlaxoSmithKline on a combined campaign with the tagline “Strike Up A Conversation.”

Original Headquarters: New York City, NY
Purchased By: SIGNA Group
Country: Austria

When The Wall Street Journal, a News Corp publication, initially reported on the sale of the Chrysler Building in 2019, many were taken aback. The building has long been a New York institution, although it has not been owned by an American corporation in quite some time. The Abu Dhabi Investment Council paid $800 million for controlling ownership in 2008, but sold to Austrian company SIGNA and New York’s RFR for slightly more than $150 million just over a decade later. The loss was severe, generating headlines in financial publications around the world.

Original Headquarters: Detroit, MI
Purchased By: Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp
Country: China

General Motors is America’s largest vehicle manufacturer. As a result, it is one of the world’s largest firms in its field, making it both profitable and appealing. While General Motors is not wholly controlled by a Chinese business, it does rely on a collaboration with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp to keep the cash flowing. Both companies created a joint venture in 1998. SAIC sells firms under the General Motors name, even if customers are unaware of it. SAIC has its headquarters in Shanghai, whereas GM’s is in Detroit.

Original Headquarters: New York, NY
Purchased By:  Tencent Holdings Ltd
Country: China

Spotify has become such an integral part of our daily lives that it is impossible to recall a period when we couldn’t listen to the songs we wanted at any time. The startup was created in 2006, offering consumers the ability to stream their favorite music. Spotify originated in Sweden, but has traveled extensively since then. Tencent Holdings and Spotify both purchased around 10% of each other’s stock in 2017. This collaboration helped Spotify get into the Chinese market, while Tencent increased its already vast portfolio. It was a convenient arrangement for Spotify, which was not yet powerful enough to enter the Chinese market on its own.

Original Headquarters: New York, NY
Purchased By: Anbang Insurance Group
Country: China

If you’re visiting New York, staying at the Waldorf-Astoria offers a true taste of luxury. It’s not merely an institution, but also a piece of American history. While Hilton Worldwide manages the company, Anbang Insurance Group of China purchased it in 2014 for $1.95 billion. The excessive price makes it the most expensive hotel ever sold. Anbang made significant renovations to the Astoria, including converting some of the rooms into condominiums. Over the years, this Chinese company has considered purchasing a number of American-owned enterprises, including Starwood Resorts.

Original Headquarters: Palo Alto, CA
Purchased By: Tencent Holdings Ltd
Country: China

Elon Musk may be the brains behind Tesla and the main stakeholder at 21.7%, but he is not the only one investing in the automaker. There are many shareholders, including Tencent Holdings Ltd. Tencent is interested in a wide range of topics, including music. Tencent is the world’s largest video gaming corporation as well as one of the major social media platforms, making it a formidable force. It earned $95.8 billion in net income in 2019, indicating that whatever they’re doing is working. The company is now doing well.

Original Headquarters: Los Angeles, CA
Purchased By: Tencent Holdings Ltd
Country: China

Taking a picture with a wacky filter has never been more popular thanks to Snapchat. Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy established the firm in 2011, but neither expected it to become so successful. Snapchat is currently valued at more than $20 billion. In 2017, Tencent expanded its reach to include Snapchat. The IT behemoth invested almost $2 billion for a 10% interest in the company, aiming to get a handsome return on its investment. Tencent, on the other hand, leveraged its technological prowess to expand the augmented reality features that Snapchat uses.

Original Headquarters: Irvine, CA
Purchased By: HNA Technology Co. Ltd
Country: China

Ingram Micro began as a modest technology product distributor in 1979 before growing into a multibillion-dollar company. In the early 1990s, Ingram was in a position to acquire Belgium’s Softinvest. As a result, they were able to distribute Hewlett Packard products, giving them an even stronger presence. Ingram was purchased for $6 billion by Chinese corporation Tianjin Tianhai Investment (part of the HNA Group) in 2016. At the time, the deal made Ingram one of HNA’s top earners across their whole portfolio. It was a smart business decision to help Ingram expand into foreign markets.

Original Headquarters: Des Moines, IA
Purchased By: Anbang Insurance Group (Failed Acquisition)
Country: China

Original Headquarters: Santa Monica, CA
Purchased By: Vivendi/Tencent
Country: France/China

Getting a record deal with Universal is a major accomplishment for any musician. UMG has a nearly century-long history as one of the world’s “Big Three” record labels, together with Sony Music and Warner Music Group. The corporation may have many outstanding local bands, but it has not been owned by Americans in years. Vivendi, a French business, had controlled the main ownership in the company for nearly a decade before reaching an agreement with Chinese company Tencent in early 2020. For $33.4 billion, the Shenzhen-based media conglomerate received a 10% split.

Original Headquarters: New York, NY
Purchased By: Legend Holdings Corp
Country: China

Shared workplaces have grown more fashionable and trendy than ever before, particularly for freelancers and new businesses. WeWork seized on this trend when it was founded ten years ago. It currently administers over 4 million square meters of co-working space. However, it has not always been plain sailing for the company, which sorely required financing in 2016. As a result, the Beijing-based corporation Legend Holdings Corp invested more than $430 million in WeWork as a “new partner.” CEO of Legend’s Hony Capital, John Zhao, stated, “Our investment in WeWork is both strategic and obvious.”

Original Headquarters: Bedford, NH
Purchased By: Ninebot Inc
Country: China

Original Headquarters: Boston, Mass
Purchased By: Manulife Financial
Country: Canada

The John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund offers a wide range of products under the rand banner, but one of the most popular is its life insurance. The Boston-based corporation has been in business since 1862, but was purchased by Manulife Financial in 2004. The Canadian company could have simply dropped the John Hancock name, but instead chose to retain the well-known brand and continue operations under the original identity. Manulife is headquartered in Toronto and employs more than 34,000 people, including 63,000 agents.

Original Headquarters: New York, NY
Purchased By: Taikang Life Insurance Co Ltd
Country: China

What are the similarities between a premium fine and decorative art broker and a life insurance company? The solution is more complicated than you may expect. Sotheby’s was founded in London in 1744, before expanding to New York City and around the world. In 2016, Taikang Life, a Chinese life insurance corporation, was named Sotheby’s newest majority stakeholder. Taikang kept that role until 2019, when the company was acquired by French-Israeli business magnate Patrick Drahi. It’s unclear what happened to Taikang’s 13.5% investment or whether they’re still partnered with Drahi.