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On Friday, April 14, 2023, American brewing company Anheuser-Busch's CEO Brendan Whitworth broke his silence on the backlash faced by its subsidiary BudLight, following its partnership with transgender influencer Dyan Mulvaney.
In a public statement, the 46-year-old CEO wrote:
"We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer."'
Earlier this month, BudLight's decision to elect Mulvaney as its partner led to many calling for a mass boycott of its product. Following the backlash, Anheuser-Busch stood by its decision, remarking that it was meant to connect with a broader range of audiences. However, no further statement was given by them.
The controversy soon exploded into a widespread discourse on trans rights. Musicians such as Travis Tritt and Kid Rock publicly slammed the brand, with the latter even posting a clip of him shooting a can of BudLight. Meanwhile, celebrities such as Howard Stern and Joe Rogan pushed back against the mass outrage.
After Whitworth's statement went viral, internet users looked up his identity and career. This is when it was revealed that he used to work with the CIA at one point in time.
Before becoming Anheuser-Busch CEO, Brendan Whitworth was once training to become a doctor
Whitworth was raised in Wilmington, Delaware, and is the son of a doctor, Michael Whitworth. He attended the Salesianum School and graduated in 1994 with honors in pre-calculus. While studying, he also led the school soccer team to win a state championship.
Following in his father's footsteps, Whitworth joined Bucknell University in Pennsylvania to study medicine. However, the 46-year-old was passionate about joining the Marines, and in his senior year, he was commissioned as a lieutenant.
Three years after joining the Marines, the Anheuser-Busch executive left the service to work with the CIA. Following the September 2001 attacks, he was stationed in Iraq. Eight years after joining, his worried sister pushed him to change his career and attend a business school.
He gave his GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) while he was stationed in Baghdad and eventually went on to study at Harvard University.
He once worked at PepsiCo in its Frito-Lay division, before being hired by Anheuser-Busch in July 2013. Whitworth quickly climbed the ladder. In 2014, he was made the Vice president of the NorthEast Region and by July 2021, he was the head of the company.
Whitworth is believed to earn a total of $ 12 million a year. He lives with his wife Meredith in the Upper East Side area, close to Central Park in New York.
The aftermath of Brendan's statement
The CEO's statement, released under the header, "Our Responsibility to America," did not have any explicitly-worded apology for hiring Dylan Mulvaney and instead focused on the company's aim of uniting people.
Some of the main reasons for the release were the several bomb threats received by the BudLight factories and the major losses suffered by the company.
Following its release, many were upset about the statement arriving too late. Many also criticized the CEO for not apologizing and playing both sides, adding that they will continue to boycott BudLight.
