Bill Gates has bought 3.76% stake in Dutch drinks giant Heineken Holding NV, although the billionaire founder of Microsoft has previously said he was "not a big beer drinker."
Details
The filing by the Netherlands' Financial Markets Authority (AFM) said the shares were purchased on 17 February. Heineken Holding owns a controlling stake in brewer Heineken NV.
Gates purchased the shares from Mexico's FEMSA, which is selling out of the brewing company.
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Enjoy full access to Hospitality Ireland, our weekly email news digest, all website and app content, and every digital issue.A separate filing also dated 17 February showed FEMSA sold all 18 million shares it held in Heineken Holding. Gates purchased 10.8 million shares, worth €883 million at current market prices, triggering a disclosure requirement under Dutch stock market rules.
In a 2018 "Ask Me Anything" chat session on Reddit, Gates said he was "not a big beer drinker."
"When I end up at something like a baseball game I drink light beer to get with the vibe of all the other beer drinkers. Sorry to disappoint real beer drinkers."
Not Immediately Available For Comment
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the charitable foundation launched by the billionaire and his former wife, wasn't immediately available for comment.
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