# Dean Metropoulos

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{{short description|American billionaire businessman}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Dean Metropoulos
| image              = Dean Metropoulos.jpg
| alt                = 
| caption            = Metropoulos in 2015
| education          = 
| alma_mater         = [Babson College](/source/Babson_College)
| birth_date         = {{Birth year and age|1946|5}}<ref name="Wealth-X" />
| birth_place        = [Tripoli](/source/Tripoli%2C_Greece), [Kingdom of Greece](/source/Kingdom_of_Greece)
| death_date         = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} or {{Death-date and age|death date†|birth date†}} -->
| death_place        = 
| occupation         = Chairman and CEO of C. Dean Metropoulos and Company
| known_for          = [Hostess Brands](/source/Hostess_Brands) and [Pabst Brewing Company](/source/Pabst_Brewing_Company)
| children           = 2
}}

'''Charles Dean Metropoulos'''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nacsonline.com/Media/Daily/Pages/ND0426117.aspx#.V8E1zRLeJkg |title=AGs Urge Pabst to Lower Alcohol Content in Blast &#124; NACS Online – Media – News Archive |publisher=Nacsonline.com |date=2011-04-26 |accessdate=2016-10-05}}</ref> ({{langx|el|Ντιν Μητρόπουλος}}; born May 1946<ref name="Wealth-X">{{cite web |url=http://www.wealthx.com/articles/2015/charles-dean-metropoulos/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170429053150/http://www.wealthx.com/articles/2015/charles-dean-metropoulos/ |archive-date=2017-04-29 |url-status=dead |title=Billionaires: Charles Dean Metropoulos |publisher=Wealth-X |accessdate=2017-01-02}}{{cbignore}}</ref> in [Tripoli](/source/Tripoli%2C_Greece), Greece<ref name=greekreporter>{{cite web |author=Anastasios Papapostolou |url=http://usa.greekreporter.com/2014/09/23/metropoulos-sells-pabst-blue-ribbon-to-russian-company/ |title=Metropoulos Sells Pabst Blue Ribbon to Russian Company |publisher=USA.GreekReporter.com |date= |accessdate=2016-10-05}}</ref>) is a Greek-American billionaire investor and businessman. He was the owner of [Pabst Brewing Company](/source/Pabst_Brewing_Company), which was founded by [Jacob Best](/source/Jacob_Best) in 1844.<ref name="greekreporter" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/beer/2017/03/02/pabst-milwaukee-brewery-open-mid-april/98606826/|title=Pabst is finally coming home: New Milwaukee brewery set to open in April|work=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|access-date=2018-04-13|language=en}}</ref> On the ''[Forbes](/source/Forbes)'' 2020 list of the world's billionaires, he was ranked #875 with a net worth of US$2.6 billion.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/c-dean-metropoulos/?list=billionaires|title=#962 C. Dean Metropoulos}}</ref>

==Early life==
Metropoulos was ten years old when he and his parents emigrated from Greece to the U.S.,<ref name="Forbes 2016 The World's Billionaires">{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/c-dean-metropoulos/?list=billionaires|title=The World's Billionaires (2016 ranking): #722 C. Dean Metropoulos|date=1 March 2016|work=[Forbes](/source/Forbes)|accessdate=2017-01-02}}</ref> settling at [Watertown, Massachusetts](/source/Watertown%2C_Massachusetts).<ref name=greekreporter />

Metropoulos has a bachelor's degree and an MBA from [Babson College](/source/Babson_College), located in [Wellesley, Massachusetts](/source/Wellesley%2C_Massachusetts).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/denizcam/2017/10/20/what-should-you-major-in-if-you-want-to-be-a-billionaire/#384a535d7cf4|title=What Should You Major In If You Want To Be A Billionaire?|last=Cam|first=Deniz|work=Forbes|access-date=2018-04-13|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.babson.edu/Academics/centers/blank-center/academy-of-distinguished-entrepreneurs/Pages/metropoulos-c-dean.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616154221/http://www.babson.edu/Academics/centers/blank-center/academy-of-distinguished-entrepreneurs/Pages/metropoulos-c-dean.aspx|archive-date=2018-06-16|url-status=unfit|title=Distinguished Entrepreneurs: C. Dean Metropoulos |website=[Babson College](/source/Babson_College)|access-date=2022-11-09}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

At age 25, he went to [Geneva](/source/Geneva), Switzerland, to become a financial director for [GTE](/source/GTE) International's (now Verizon) European, Middle Eastern, and African operations. Later he returned to the U.S. as the company's youngest controller.<ref name=greekreporter />

==Career==
In 1981, Metropoulos made his first acquisition of Stella Foods Inc., a Vermont-based cheese company, which later sold to [Robert Bass](/source/Robert_Bass) for $375 million.<ref name=companies>{{cite web |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703341904575266812952883720 |date=26 May 2010 |title=Pabst's New Owner Built Fortune on Old Brands|last1=Lattman|first1=Peter|last2=Kesmodel|first2=David|publisher=Wall Street Journal |accessdate=22 October 2023}}</ref>

Some of the buy-build private equity transactions of Metropoulos have included [Pinnacle Foods](/source/Pinnacle_Foods), [Ghirardelli Chocolate Company](/source/Ghirardelli_Chocolate_Company), [International Home Foods](/source/International_Home_Foods), [Pabst Brewing Company](/source/Pabst_Brewing_Company), The Morningstar Group, Inc. (sold to Suiza Foods<ref>Lipin, Steven, [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB875537824481612000 "Suiza Foods to Buy Morningstar Group"], ''Wall Street Journal'', September 29, 1997. Retrieved 2017-01-15.</ref> which has become [Dean Foods](/source/Dean_Foods)), Solar Marine ("a private, European based, international dry cargo shipping company"<ref>[https://hellenicnews.com/a-vision-for-the-future-of-business/ "A Vision for the Future of Business" (conference program)], ''Hellenic News of America'', February 14, 2014. Retrieved 2017-01-15.</ref>), [Bumble Bee Foods](/source/Bumble_Bee_Foods), [Vlasic Pickles](/source/Vlasic_Pickles), and [Mumm's](/source/G._H._Mumm)/[Perrier-Jouët](/source/Perrier-Jou%C3%ABt) champagnes.<ref name="haba.org">{{Cite web |date=2018-08-31 |title=View events - Hellenic American Bankers Association |url=https://www.haba.org/view_event.php?id=8 |access-date=2024-02-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831072159/https://www.haba.org/view_event.php?id=8 |archive-date=2018-08-31 }}</ref><ref name=companies/>

Metropoulos is the executive chairman and [chief executive officer](/source/chief_executive_officer) of C. Dean Metropoulos & Company.  The company was founded in 1993 and is based in [Greenwich](/source/Greenwich%2C_Connecticut), Connecticut.<ref name=BW01>[https://archive.today/20140831183055/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=217479 "Company Overview of C. Dean Metropoulos & Co."], ''[Businessweek](/source/Businessweek)'', January 15, 2017,</ref> As of 2011, C. Dean Metropoulos & Co. has been involved in over 72 acquisitions with over $12 billion in invested capital.<ref name="haba.org" /> The company jointly owned [Hostess Brands](/source/Hostess_Brands) along with [Apollo Global Management](/source/Apollo_Global_Management).

In September 2014 American entrepreneur [Eugene Kashper](/source/Eugene_Kashper), backed by [TSG Consumer Partners](/source/TSG_Consumer_Partners), announced an agreement to acquire [Pabst Brewing](/source/Pabst_Brewing_Company) from C. Dean Metropoulos & Co for $700 million.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nypost.com/2014/09/20/pabst-not-moving-to-russia/ |work=New York Post |first=James |last=Covert |title=Pabst not moving to Russia |date=20 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cspnet.com/category-news/beverages/articles/pabst-we-will-remain-american-company |title=Pabst Brewing: We Will Remain an American Company &#124; CSP Daily News |publisher=Cspnet.com |date=2014-09-23 |accessdate=2016-10-05}}</ref> The sale represented a gain of $550 million more than what the company paid for it in 2010. [Bumble Bee Tuna](/source/Bumble_Bee_Foods) is another brand owned by a company "bought and flipped" by the firm.<ref>Leitereg, Neal J., [http://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/hot-property/la-fi-hp-hotprop-20160827-snap-story.html "Daren Metropoulos takes ownership of Playboy Mansion, Hef included"], ''[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)'', August 27, 2016. Retrieved 2017-01-15.</ref>

On July 7, 2015 there were rumors of a [Hostess Brands](/source/Hostess_Brands) IPO. Metropoulos stated that there was no plan for an IPO.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.darenmetropoulos.com/forbes-hostess-ceo-says-no-plan-for-twinkie-ipo/ |title=Metropoulos & Co. &#124; Hostess, Playboy Mansion, Daren Metropoulos |publisher=Darenmetropoulos.com |date= |accessdate=2016-10-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709090105/http://www.darenmetropoulos.com/forbes-hostess-ceo-says-no-plan-for-twinkie-ipo/ |archive-date=2015-07-09 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In July 2016, a Hostess IPO was announced.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-07-06 |title=IPO plan values Hostess at $2.3 billion |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2016/07/06/ipo-plan-values-hostess-at-2-3-billion/ |access-date=2025-08-19 |website=The Denver Post |language=en-US}}</ref>

In February 2021, Nestlé SA agreed to sell most of its North American bottled-water brands, including Poland Spring, Arrowhead and Pure Life, to Metropoulos & Co and One Rock Capital Partners LLC for $4.3 billion.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Chaudhuri|first=Saabira|date=2021-02-17|title=Nestlé to Sell Poland Spring, Pure Life and Other Water Brands for $4.3 Billion|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/nestle-to-sell-poland-spring-pure-life-and-other-water-brands-for-4-3-billion-11613555874|access-date=2021-02-25|issn=0099-9660}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Metropoulos lives in [Palm Beach, Florida](/source/Palm_Beach%2C_Florida), with his wife<ref name="Forbes 2016 The World's Billionaires" /> Marianne, who in 2011, was President and Principal of Aegean Entertainment, a movie production company in Beverly Hills. They are parents of sons Evan and Daren.<ref name="haba.org" /> Daren purchased the [Playboy Mansion](/source/Playboy_Mansion) for $100 million in 2016.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/hot-property/la-fi-hp-hotprop-20160827-snap-story.html |author=Leitereg, Neal J.| title=Daren Metropoulos takes ownership of Playboy Mansion, Hef included |newspaper=LA Times |date=2016-08-27 |accessdate=2016-10-05}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Metropoulos, C. Dean}}
Category:1946 births
Category:Living people
Category:Date of birth missing (living people)
Category:American chief executives
Category:American billionaires
Category:Pabst Brewing Company
Category:Babson College alumni
Category:Businesspeople from Palm Beach, Florida
Category:21st-century American philanthropists
Category:Greek emigrants to the United States

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Dean Metropoulos](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Metropoulos) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Metropoulos?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.