Red Bull
brand of energy drinks sold by Red Bull GmbH
Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks created and owned by the Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. It had a global market share of 13% in the energy drink market in 2023 and was the third most valuable soft drink brand in 2021, behind Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Since its launch in 1987, more than 100 billion cans of Red Bull have been sold worldwide, including over 13.9 billion in 2025.
Originally available only in a single undistinguished flavour called Red Bull Energy Drink, the drink added numerous variants over time. Rather than following a traditional marketing approach, Red Bull has generated awareness and created a "brand myth" through extreme sport events.
Red Bull was derived from a similar drink called Krating Daeng which originated in Thailand and was introduced by Chaleo Yoovidhya. While doing business in Thailand, Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz purchased a can of Krating Daeng and claimed it cured his jet lag. Mateschitz sought to create a partnership with Chaleo and formulated a product that would suit the tastes of Westerners, such as by carbonating the drink. In 1984, the two founded Red Bull GmbH in Fuschl am See, Salzburg, Austria.
History
In 1976, Thai entrepreneur Chaleo Yoovidhya introduced a drink called Krating Daeng in Thailand, which means "red gaur" in English. It was popular among Thai truck drivers and labourers.
The public source identifies “Red Bull” as brand of energy drinks sold by Red Bull GmbH. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Bull, brand and energy.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Red Bull”, the useful work is to connect “brand of energy drinks sold by Red Bull GmbH” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 15, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q51482. 2 of 23 selected statements include explicit references; 22 carry qualifiers and 1 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2023, 2021, 1987 and 2025.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Red Bull”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Red Bull primary sources, Red Bull archive and Bull research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Red Bull”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Red Bull” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.