Budweiser's "watered-down" beer in the US becomes a case of intimidation.

247 - The lawsuit initiated just over a month ago in the United States against the Anheuser-Busch brewery, controlled by Brazilians Jorge Paulo Lemann, the country's richest man with a fortune of US$20 billion, Marcel Telles, and Carlos Alberto Sicupira, is beginning to take on delicate contours. In the lawsuit, the Brazilian company is accused, under the pretext of boosting its profits, of reducing the alcohol percentage of Budweiser and watering down the product, which is considered an icon of American capitalism (read more). here (Regarding the case). The new development, revealed late Monday afternoon in the online edition of the San Francisco Chronicle, the main newspaper in San Francisco, where the action is unfolding, is that Anheuser-Busch, led by Brazilian executives Luiz Fernando Edmond and Carlos Brito, has also been accused of persecuting a former industrial director of the company. His name is James Clark, who was one of the main people responsible for quality control at the brewery.

According to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle, Clark was sued by Anheuser-Busch a week after the Budweiser watered-down scandal broke in the American press. He was accused by the company of leaking trade secrets to competitors. However, the move may have backfired, as an Anheuser-Busch employee testified in court alleging that the company initiated a process of internal harassment and intimidation (read more). here (The full report is from the San Francisco Chronicle). According to Robert Carichoff, Clark's lawyer, the Anheuser-Busch lawsuit was filed to "silence" his client, who had decided to defend consumer rights. "It's a clearly vindictive lawsuit."

In the consumer class action lawsuit, Anheuser-Busch is accused of watering down not only Budweiser, but also brands like Bud Ice and Michelob. According to attorney Josh Boxer, who is leading the lawsuit and was consulted by 247, the entire accusation is based on testimonies from employees who worked at Anheuser-Busch's 13 plants in the United States. And Clark could be a key piece in the process, since he was responsible precisely for quality controls.

Dream big

Formed from Brahma, the empire of Lemann, Telles, and Sicupira today commands some of the world's leading brands, such as Budweiser, Burger King, and Heinz, recently acquired in partnership with billionaire Warren Buffett. The dream of the three businessmen, which they do not hide, is to acquire a global icon like Pepsi or even Coca-Cola. The trio's trajectory has always been marked by acquisitions. First, Antarctica in Brazil; then Quilmes in Argentina, and subsequently, several brands spread around the world. The expansion in the northern hemisphere began with the merger with the Belgian Interbrew, owner of brands such as Stella Artois, and was later consolidated with the acquisition of Anheuser-Busch.

The company's management style, however, is being increasingly questioned in the United States. A recent Business Week cover story (read more) hereThe company was accused of destroying the quality of American beer even before the lawsuit filed by consumers. Furthermore, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is investigating the use of insider information in several deals closed by the trio, such as the acquisitions of Burger King and Heinz.

Questioned in the United States, the three are the protagonists of the launch of an authorized biography this Wednesday in São Paulo, called "Dream Big," which deals precisely with the trio's plan for global conquest. "Dreaming big or small takes the same amount of work," Lemann often says. He and his partners, in fact, dreamed big and went far. But they are under scrutiny from former employees, regulatory bodies, and the American justice system.