TOP 10 AMERICAN ICONS THAT ARE NOT AMERICAN

“Discover the top 10 American icons that are actually not American, from Firestone tires to Budweiser beer. Learn about the global ownership behind these famous brands and how they have become symbols of American culture.”

Firestone, Japan

The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company was created in 1900 to provide tires for wagons and buggies. As the automobile became popular, the company began to make tires for this new mode of transport. In 1988, Bridgestone bought the company out. Bridgestone is now ranked as the number one company in the global tire market. The company is based in Tokyo and was founded in 1931.

Dial Soap, Germany

In 2004, Henkel (a German consumer products company) bought out the Dial Corporation, at the time the U.S. leading manufacturer of household cleaning products. Henkel also owns Sellotape and Persil.

Shell, Netherlands

Shell Oil is owned by the Royal Dutch Shell Company—one of the largest oil companies in the world. The U.S. branch of the company employs twenty-two thousand people. The company is a 50/50 partnership with Saudi Aramco, a Saudi Arabian government-owned business. The Royal Dutch Shell Company originated in Holland and Britain.

Church’s Chicken, Bahrain

Church’s Chicken is a chain of fast-food fried chicken restaurants. It was founded in 1952 in San Antonio and has sixteen hundred locations around the world. In 2004, the company was bought out by Arcapita, an Islamic venture capital firm. Because the company is strictly Islamic, all pork products were removed from the menu. Arcapita also owns Caribou Coffee.

Toll House Cookies, Switzerland

Toll House Cookies were created in the 1930s by Ruth Graves Wakefield. Because they were so popular, Nestle approached her for the recipe, which she handed over in exchange for a lifetime supply of chocolate. Nestle is a Swiss company and they now own the rights to the recipe and cookies made with it.

Holiday Inn, United Kingdom

Holiday Inn was founded in Memphis in 1952 by Kemmons Wilson, who wanted to provide cheap accommodation to families traveling within the U.S. Holiday Inn is now owned by a British company, InterContinental Hotels Group, which is a conglomeration of various hotel brands.

The Chrysler Building, United Arab Emirates

The iconic Chrysler Building in New York City is owned by the Abu Dhabi Investment Council, which manages the oil reserves of the United Arab Emirates (worth one trillion dollars). The building appears frequently in movies and literature as it clearly sets the scene in New York. The Abu Dhabi Investment company paid over eight hundred million dollars for its share of the building.

Trader Joe’s, Germany

Trader Joe’s was created in 1958 by Joe Coloumbe to sell exotic foods, filling a gap in the supermarket industry at the time. The original California store is still open today. The chain was sold to the family trust of Theo Albrecht, a German billionaire who owns the German supermarket chain Aldi.

7-Eleven, Japan

7-Eleven is the largest chain store in the world. It is located in eighteen countries. The company is now owned by Seven and I Holdings Co. (the fifth-largest retailer in the world), which also owns Denny’s and White Hen Pantry.

Budweiser, Belgium

Budweiser (or “Bud”) is one of the most popular beers in the U.S. It is made with a mixture of barley and rice and is produced all across the States. In 2008, Belgian company InBev bought the majority of the company’s stock, making it the world’s largest beer manufacturing company.