August Busch IV
Encyclopedia
August Anheuser Busch IV (born June 15, 1964) is the former CEO of Anheuser-Busch
who ended the family control of the company in 2008 when it was sold to InBev
.
, the son of former chairman, president and CEO August Busch III
. Busch is known by industry insiders as "The Fourth."
Busch's parents divorce
d when he was five and he lived with his mother. His time with his father was mostly at the brewery and their relationship was, for the most part, professional.
After graduating in 1982 from Parkway West High School
in Ballwin, Missouri
, August Busch IV studied as an undergraduate at University of Arizona
. He holds both a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree magna cum laude in finance
from Saint Louis University
. He has a brewmaster’s degree from VLB Berlin
.
. He worked as a brewing
apprentice in the Old Malt House as a union member of Brewers & Maltsters Local 6 in St. Louis, Missouri
, as an intern in the Culture Yeast
Center, and later as a foreman in packaging and shipping
operations.
In 1989 he moved into marketing, pushing early on the start of the Bud Dry brand which proved to be unsuccessful. He then worked on updating the image of the company's flagship brand, Budweiser
, which had been losing market share, launching among other things the Budweiser frogs
campaign.
Busch's father initially opposed the campaign; he later admitted "I've lost the ability to understand the 21- to 30-year-olds the way I used to."
He was Group Vice President-Marketing and Wholesale Operations (2000–2002). He was Vice President and Group Executive of the Company and had served in such capacity since 2000.
its first non-family President and CEO. Busch's father had said that he only owns 1% of the stock and that the "Board of Directors calls the shots" at the company.
Busch IV became president and CEO effective December 1, 2006. Busch's father had been criticized for not moving to expand and thus leaving the company open for acquisition. In 2007 August and the directors began discussions to acquire Diageo
but the deal never advanced.
Less than 18 months into his tenure rumors circulated that InBev
was attempting to buy the company. In April 2008, Mr. Busch told beer distributors that Anheuser-Busch would never be bought "on my watch." Anheuser's stock had closed at $49.20 on April 30, 2008. InBev offered $65/share in June and August Busch IV refused. Prior to InBev's offer Anheuser's stock had never been higher than 51.97. To make it more difficult to avoid the takeover August proposed acquiring the remaining 50 percent share it did not own of Grupo Modelo
. InBev then said it would not include August in the new company board and instead would include his uncle Adolphus Busch IV who had favored the deal. Eventually InBev sweetened its bid to $70/share and kept August on the board.
On July 13th, 2008, he signed off on the sale of Anheuser to InBev
, ending 156 years of family control. The deal officially closed on November 18, 2008 just as the Late-2000s recession was beginning.
Press reports indicated that the Busch family ownership of the company had greatly dwindled over the years with Busch's father owning only 1.2 percent of the shares at the time of the takeover. In total the Busch family owned only 4 percent of the company and were not even the company's biggest stockholders. Barclay's owned 6 percent and Berkshire Hathaway
owned 5 percent. The family did not own supervoting stock as many publicly traded companies with family affiliations and the board did not employ a common takeover defense tactic of staggering its board of directors terms (the AB board was re-elected each year).
According to reports, he and his father August Busch III were estranged and his father engineered the AB takeover blindsiding the son. However the public conflict between father and son led to the higher price. AB gave August IV a title of nonexecutive director and a contract as a consultant that runs through 2014. He attended seven AB meetings in 2009. He was also given a security detail through 2011.
The deal was worth nearly $100 million to Busch. He also received additional fees of about $120,000 a month.
degrees in the martial arts
disciplines of Judo
, Tae-Kwon-Do and Hapkido
. Busch, reported as a lean 5-foot-10 inch in 2005 and was described as having a striking resemblance to his father.
Busch married Kathryn "Kate" Thatcher, sixteen years his junior, in August 2006 in Bradford, Vermont
shortly before becoming CEO. He filed for divorce in November 2008 the same month the InBev take over was completed. The couple had a prenuptial agreement
. The couple had no children.
, Busch was involved in a car wreck that killed Michele Frederick (who was 21), riding with him in his Corvette
. According to Tucson police, Busch had left a bar early one morning and wrecked his vehicle while making a sharp turn at high speed. His passenger, a local waitress, flew through the sunroof, and was killed in the accident. Busch walked or crawled from the scene of the accident without informing the police. Police found him at his Tucson townhouse over four miles (6 km) away by River and Campbell, eight hours later, with blood still on his body. Manslaughter charges against Busch were eventually dropped after evidence (blood
and urine
taken from Busch 12 hours after the accident) was lost or damaged. According to medical reports cocaine was found in Frederick's system.
strip bar PT's Sports Cabaret. He was accused of intentionally trying to run over two officers with his Mercedes
. The officers were in an unmarked police car and the chase ended when they shot out his rear tire. They chased him after he nearly hit a parked car. Busch claimed he thought they were attempting to kidnap him. He was acquitted by a St. Louis
jury.
in Huntleigh, Missouri
(38.6085650°N 90.4042660°W) after household employee Michael Jung called 911
at 1:15 p.m. The call was reported to have been 42 minutes after a problem was discovered. Busch's attorney Art Margulis denied that anything suspicious occurred and described the death as "tragic and untimely". Busch was divorced in 2009 and Busch was in the house at the time. The matter was investigated by Frontenac, Missouri
police rather than Huntleigh although Frontenac police chief Thomas Becker maintained early on there was "no public safety concern regarding the case."
The incident which occurred on a Sunday was not reported in the media until the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
reported it four days later on a Thursday. Martin, a former Hooters
waitress is a divorced mother of one and is reported to have been dating Busch for a year.
The initial autopsy was inconclusive and didn't reveal signs of trauma. Police reports said they were initially investigating the case as a drug overdose however Martin's ex-husband Kevin J. Martin, a Cape Girardeau, Missouri
physician said Martin suffered from Long QT syndrome
that could cause an unexpected sudden death. The physician said he had been personally called by August saying "We also both think the world of August...He is a good man." The physician said that Martin had been improperly taking Trazodone
.
Busch in his first interview published on January 4 in the Post-Dispatch said that 911 had been called immediately and that he asked Jung to make the call because he was still with her and that "she felt kind of warm." He said that he initially thought she was just sleeping when he woke up about 11 a.m. Busch said. He said that Adrienne had spurred him to give up his playboy ways. "You know, I'm this notorious bachelor who always wanted someone on the side, but I didn't with Adrienne." They had shared their bed with five of Busch's eight dogs -- five Shih Tzu
s. Adrienne's obituary in the Springfield News-Leader
described as Busch as "the love of her life." Adrienne was cremated at the request of her mother five days after the St. Louis County Medical examiner released her body to her. The county's medical examiner said the cremation would not affect the investigation. Her mother Christine Trampler said Busch had taken her on a helicopter ride the day before she died and had posted it that night on Facebook
. She that Adrienne told her that night, "There's a situation that caused her not to sleep." She did elaborate but said it had nothing to do with Busch.
A toxicology report in February 2011 indicated she had cocaine
and oxycodone
and the death was in connection with the oxycodone (there was no prescription for the drug) and that the cocaine was at a lethal level. The report further said that a hole in Adrienne's nasal septum
indicated "several months to a year of cocaine use."
On March 31, 2011, Adriene's ex-husband Kevin filed a wrongful death suit against Busch on behalf of her son Blake Alexander Martin (born 2003). The handling of the case is to be handle in Cape Girardeau. In the wake of the suit Adrienne's mother Christine Trampler said she was hiring New York attorney John Q. Kelly
(who previously represented Beth Holloway
and the estate of Nicole Brown Simpson
) to pursue the case because she was concerned that a friendship between Adrienne's ex-husband and Busch would taint the case.
On April 6, 2011, Adrienne's father George "Larry" Eby joined the suit saying he had been deprived of the "companionship, comfort, instruction, guidance, counsel and training of Adrienne Martin."
On April 20, 2011, it was revealed that Busch had agreed to a $1.5 million settlement with Martin. The court would decide how much could be allocated to Adrienne's parents.
Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , is an American brewing company. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and 18 in other countries. It was, until December 2009, also one of America's largest theme park operators; operating ten theme parks across the United States through the...
who ended the family control of the company in 2008 when it was sold to InBev
InBev
InBev is a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev. The company existed independently for several years - since the merger between Interbrew and AmBev and until the acquisition of Anheuser-Busch. InBev has operations in over 30 countries and sales in over 130 countries...
.
Early life
He is the great-great-grandson of Anheuser-Busch founder Adolphus BuschAdolphus Busch
Colonel Adolphus Busch was the German-born co-founder of Anheuser-Busch with his father-in-law, Eberhard Anheuser. His great-great-grandson, August Busch IV is now on the board of Anheuser-Busch InBev.-Biography:...
, the son of former chairman, president and CEO August Busch III
August Busch III
August Anheuser Busch III is the great-grandson of Anheuser-Busch founder Adolphus Busch and was the company's Chairman until November 30, 2006...
. Busch is known by industry insiders as "The Fourth."
Busch's parents divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
d when he was five and he lived with his mother. His time with his father was mostly at the brewery and their relationship was, for the most part, professional.
After graduating in 1982 from Parkway West High School
Parkway West High School
Parkway West High School is a fully accredited public high school, serving students in grades 9-12 of the Parkway School District, located in Ballwin, Missouri. Parkway West is one of four high schools in the Parkway School District. The school mascot is the Longhorn and the school colors are...
in Ballwin, Missouri
Ballwin, Missouri
Ballwin is a second-ring western suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was to be 30,404 as of the 2010 census. It was named by Money Magazine in 2005 as 64th on the list of the 100 best cities in America. It is the only city in America named...
, August Busch IV studied as an undergraduate at University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
. He holds both a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree magna cum laude in finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
from Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the...
. He has a brewmaster’s degree from VLB Berlin
VLB Berlin
VLB Berlin also known as the Institut für Gärungsgewerbe und Biotechnologie zu Berlin is an an institute in Berlin that provides research, training, education and service for the brewing industry.Its education side which cooperates with the Berlin University of...
.
Early years
After graduation he followed the family tradition of starting at the bottom of Anheuser-BuschAnheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , is an American brewing company. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and 18 in other countries. It was, until December 2009, also one of America's largest theme park operators; operating ten theme parks across the United States through the...
. He worked as a brewing
Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...
apprentice in the Old Malt House as a union member of Brewers & Maltsters Local 6 in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, as an intern in the Culture Yeast
Yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic micro-organisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with 1,500 species currently described estimated to be only 1% of all fungal species. Most reproduce asexually by mitosis, and many do so by an asymmetric division process called budding...
Center, and later as a foreman in packaging and shipping
Shipping
Shipping has multiple meanings. It can be a physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo, by land, air, and sea. It also can describe the movement of objects by ship.Land or "ground" shipping can be by train or by truck...
operations.
In 1989 he moved into marketing, pushing early on the start of the Bud Dry brand which proved to be unsuccessful. He then worked on updating the image of the company's flagship brand, Budweiser
Budweiser
Budweiser is a German adjective describing something or someone from the city of České Budějovice in Southern Bohemia, Czech Republic.Beer brewing in České Budějovice dates back to the 13th century...
, which had been losing market share, launching among other things the Budweiser frogs
Budweiser Frogs
The Budweiser Frogs are three life-like puppet frogs named "Bud", "Weis", and "Er", who began appearing in American television commercials for Budweiser beer during Super Bowl XXIX in 1995. They are part of one of the most well-known international alcohol advertising campaigns. They were created...
campaign.
Busch's father initially opposed the campaign; he later admitted "I've lost the ability to understand the 21- to 30-year-olds the way I used to."
He was Group Vice President-Marketing and Wholesale Operations (2000–2002). He was Vice President and Group Executive of the Company and had served in such capacity since 2000.
Chairman and InBev takeover
In 2002 Busch (and other family members) were passed over when the company named Patrick StokesPatrick Stokes
Patrick T Stokes is the former Chairman and CEO of Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. He served as President and CEO from 2002 to December 2006 and Chairman from December 2006 to November 2008.-Early life:Stokes was born in Washington, D.C....
its first non-family President and CEO. Busch's father had said that he only owns 1% of the stock and that the "Board of Directors calls the shots" at the company.
Busch IV became president and CEO effective December 1, 2006. Busch's father had been criticized for not moving to expand and thus leaving the company open for acquisition. In 2007 August and the directors began discussions to acquire Diageo
Diageo
Diageo plc is a global alcoholic beverages company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest producer of spirits and a major producer of beer and wine....
but the deal never advanced.
Less than 18 months into his tenure rumors circulated that InBev
InBev
InBev is a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev. The company existed independently for several years - since the merger between Interbrew and AmBev and until the acquisition of Anheuser-Busch. InBev has operations in over 30 countries and sales in over 130 countries...
was attempting to buy the company. In April 2008, Mr. Busch told beer distributors that Anheuser-Busch would never be bought "on my watch." Anheuser's stock had closed at $49.20 on April 30, 2008. InBev offered $65/share in June and August Busch IV refused. Prior to InBev's offer Anheuser's stock had never been higher than 51.97. To make it more difficult to avoid the takeover August proposed acquiring the remaining 50 percent share it did not own of Grupo Modelo
Grupo Modelo
Grupo Modelo is a large brewery in Mexico, It has 63% of the Mexican beer market, and exports beer to the United Kingdom, United States and Canada . Its export brands include Corona, Modelo, and Pacífico...
. InBev then said it would not include August in the new company board and instead would include his uncle Adolphus Busch IV who had favored the deal. Eventually InBev sweetened its bid to $70/share and kept August on the board.
On July 13th, 2008, he signed off on the sale of Anheuser to InBev
InBev
InBev is a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev. The company existed independently for several years - since the merger between Interbrew and AmBev and until the acquisition of Anheuser-Busch. InBev has operations in over 30 countries and sales in over 130 countries...
, ending 156 years of family control. The deal officially closed on November 18, 2008 just as the Late-2000s recession was beginning.
Press reports indicated that the Busch family ownership of the company had greatly dwindled over the years with Busch's father owning only 1.2 percent of the shares at the time of the takeover. In total the Busch family owned only 4 percent of the company and were not even the company's biggest stockholders. Barclay's owned 6 percent and Berkshire Hathaway
Berkshire Hathaway
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, that oversees and manages a number of subsidiary companies. The company averaged an annual growth in book value of 20.3% to its shareholders for the last 44 years,...
owned 5 percent. The family did not own supervoting stock as many publicly traded companies with family affiliations and the board did not employ a common takeover defense tactic of staggering its board of directors terms (the AB board was re-elected each year).
According to reports, he and his father August Busch III were estranged and his father engineered the AB takeover blindsiding the son. However the public conflict between father and son led to the higher price. AB gave August IV a title of nonexecutive director and a contract as a consultant that runs through 2014. He attended seven AB meetings in 2009. He was also given a security detail through 2011.
The deal was worth nearly $100 million to Busch. He also received additional fees of about $120,000 a month.
Personal
August A. Busch IV holds advanced black beltBlack belt (martial arts)
In martial arts, the black belt is a way to describe a graduate of a field where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a degree of competence. It is often associated with a teaching grade though...
degrees in the martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
disciplines of Judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
, Tae-Kwon-Do and Hapkido
Hapkido
Hapkido is a dynamic and also eclectic Korean martial art. It is a form of self-defense that employs joint locks, techniques of other martial arts, as well as kicks, punches, and other striking attacks...
. Busch, reported as a lean 5-foot-10 inch in 2005 and was described as having a striking resemblance to his father.
Busch married Kathryn "Kate" Thatcher, sixteen years his junior, in August 2006 in Bradford, Vermont
Bradford, Vermont
Bradford is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,619 at the 2000 census.-History:The first settler was John Hosmer in 1765...
shortly before becoming CEO. He filed for divorce in November 2008 the same month the InBev take over was completed. The couple had a prenuptial agreement
Prenuptial agreement
A prenuptial agreement, antenuptial agreement, or premarital agreement, commonly abbreviated to prenup or prenupt, is a contract entered into prior to marriage, civil union or any other agreement prior to the main agreement by the people intending to marry or contract with each other...
. The couple had no children.
Fatal accident (November 13, 1983)
While attending the University of ArizonaUniversity of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, Busch was involved in a car wreck that killed Michele Frederick (who was 21), riding with him in his Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
. According to Tucson police, Busch had left a bar early one morning and wrecked his vehicle while making a sharp turn at high speed. His passenger, a local waitress, flew through the sunroof, and was killed in the accident. Busch walked or crawled from the scene of the accident without informing the police. Police found him at his Tucson townhouse over four miles (6 km) away by River and Campbell, eight hours later, with blood still on his body. Manslaughter charges against Busch were eventually dropped after evidence (blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
and urine
Urine
Urine is a typically sterile liquid by-product of the body that is secreted by the kidneys through a process called urination and excreted through the urethra. Cellular metabolism generates numerous by-products, many rich in nitrogen, that require elimination from the bloodstream...
taken from Busch 12 hours after the accident) was lost or damaged. According to medical reports cocaine was found in Frederick's system.
Car chase (May 31, 1985)
Busch was arrested after leading police on a car chase with speeds reaching between 85 and 90 mph on Kingshighway Boulevard as he was returning from Sauget, IllinoisSauget, Illinois
Sauget is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. It is part of Greater St. Louis. The population was 249 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Sauget is located at ....
strip bar PT's Sports Cabaret. He was accused of intentionally trying to run over two officers with his Mercedes
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
. The officers were in an unmarked police car and the chase ended when they shot out his rear tire. They chased him after he nearly hit a parked car. Busch claimed he thought they were attempting to kidnap him. He was acquitted by a St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
jury.
Fatal drug overdose (December 19, 2010)
27-year-old Adrienne Nicole Martin was found dead at his 6300 square feet (585.3 m²) home with 16 rooms set on 4 1/2 wooded acres in the 2800 Block of South Lindbergh BoulevardLindbergh Boulevard
Lindbergh Boulevard named after the aviator, Charles Lindbergh, is a section of U.S. Route 61 and U.S. Route 67 that extends through Missouri. Lindbergh Boulevard is home to Missouri's only traffic tunnel underneath a runway at Lambert International Airport....
in Huntleigh, Missouri
Huntleigh, Missouri
Huntleigh is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 334 at the 2010 census.-History:The community, most of which encompasses what was the original 1700s farm of Stephen Maddox, is residential, with no commercial or industrial uses. Police services are provided by...
(38.6085650°N 90.4042660°W) after household employee Michael Jung called 911
911
Year 911 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.-Africa:* Rebellion of the Kutama Berbers against the Fatimid Caliphate...
at 1:15 p.m. The call was reported to have been 42 minutes after a problem was discovered. Busch's attorney Art Margulis denied that anything suspicious occurred and described the death as "tragic and untimely". Busch was divorced in 2009 and Busch was in the house at the time. The matter was investigated by Frontenac, Missouri
Frontenac, Missouri
Frontenac is a wealthy inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The signature landmark is Plaza Frontenac, a high-end mall featuring many prominent retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Tiffany & Co., among others...
police rather than Huntleigh although Frontenac police chief Thomas Becker maintained early on there was "no public safety concern regarding the case."
The incident which occurred on a Sunday was not reported in the media until the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is the major city-wide newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri. Although written to serve Greater St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch is one of the largest newspapers in the Midwestern United States, and is available and read as far west as Kansas City, Missouri, as far south as...
reported it four days later on a Thursday. Martin, a former Hooters
Hooters
Hooters is the trade name of two privately held American restaurant chains: Hooters of America, Incorporated, based in Atlanta, Georgia, and Hooters, Incorporated, based in Clearwater, Florida...
waitress is a divorced mother of one and is reported to have been dating Busch for a year.
The initial autopsy was inconclusive and didn't reveal signs of trauma. Police reports said they were initially investigating the case as a drug overdose however Martin's ex-husband Kevin J. Martin, a Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Cape Girardeau is a city located in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties in Southeast Missouri in the United States. It is located approximately southeast of St. Louis and north of Memphis. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 37,941. A college town, it is the home of Southeast Missouri...
physician said Martin suffered from Long QT syndrome
Long QT syndrome
The long QT syndrome is a rare inborn heart condition in which delayed repolarization of the heart following a heartbeat increases the risk of episodes of torsade de pointes . These episodes may lead to palpitations, fainting and sudden death due to ventricular fibrillation...
that could cause an unexpected sudden death. The physician said he had been personally called by August saying "We also both think the world of August...He is a good man." The physician said that Martin had been improperly taking Trazodone
Trazodone
Trazodone is an antidepressant of the serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor class. It is a phenylpiperazine compound...
.
Busch in his first interview published on January 4 in the Post-Dispatch said that 911 had been called immediately and that he asked Jung to make the call because he was still with her and that "she felt kind of warm." He said that he initially thought she was just sleeping when he woke up about 11 a.m. Busch said. He said that Adrienne had spurred him to give up his playboy ways. "You know, I'm this notorious bachelor who always wanted someone on the side, but I didn't with Adrienne." They had shared their bed with five of Busch's eight dogs -- five Shih Tzu
Shih Tzu
The Shih Tzu is a breed of dog weighing with long silky hair. The breed originated in China and is among the earliest breeds. Shih Tzu were officially recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1969...
s. Adrienne's obituary in the Springfield News-Leader
Springfield News-Leader
The Springfield News-Leader is the predominant newspaper for the city of Springfield, Missouri and covers the Ozarks. The News-Leader has a morning circulation of 60,889 and a Sunday circulation of 88,970...
described as Busch as "the love of her life." Adrienne was cremated at the request of her mother five days after the St. Louis County Medical examiner released her body to her. The county's medical examiner said the cremation would not affect the investigation. Her mother Christine Trampler said Busch had taken her on a helicopter ride the day before she died and had posted it that night on Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
. She that Adrienne told her that night, "There's a situation that caused her not to sleep." She did elaborate but said it had nothing to do with Busch.
A toxicology report in February 2011 indicated she had cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
and oxycodone
Oxycodone
Oxycodone is an opioid analgesic medication synthesized from opium-derived thebaine. It was developed in 1916 in Germany, as one of several new semi-synthetic opioids in an attempt to improve on the existing opioids: morphine, diacetylmorphine , and codeine.Oxycodone oral medications are generally...
and the death was in connection with the oxycodone (there was no prescription for the drug) and that the cocaine was at a lethal level. The report further said that a hole in Adrienne's nasal septum
Nasal septum
The nasal septum separates the left and right airways in the nose, dividing the two nostrils.It is depressed by the Depressor septi nasi muscle.-Composition:The fleshy external end of the nasal septum is sometimes also called columella....
indicated "several months to a year of cocaine use."
On March 31, 2011, Adriene's ex-husband Kevin filed a wrongful death suit against Busch on behalf of her son Blake Alexander Martin (born 2003). The handling of the case is to be handle in Cape Girardeau. In the wake of the suit Adrienne's mother Christine Trampler said she was hiring New York attorney John Q. Kelly
John Q. Kelly
John Quinlan Kelly is New York City attorney specializing in high profile wrongful death cases.-Early life:Kelly was born in Evanston, Illinois....
(who previously represented Beth Holloway
Beth Holloway
Elizabeth Ann Reynolds "Beth" Holloway, also previously known as Beth Twitty, is an American speech pathologist and motivational speaker. Holloway specializes in teaching special needs children in public schools...
and the estate of Nicole Brown Simpson
Nicole Brown Simpson
Nicole Brown Simpson was a former wife of professional football player O. J. Simpson.- Relationship with O. J. Simpson :...
) to pursue the case because she was concerned that a friendship between Adrienne's ex-husband and Busch would taint the case.
On April 6, 2011, Adrienne's father George "Larry" Eby joined the suit saying he had been deprived of the "companionship, comfort, instruction, guidance, counsel and training of Adrienne Martin."
On April 20, 2011, it was revealed that Busch had agreed to a $1.5 million settlement with Martin. The court would decide how much could be allocated to Adrienne's parents.
Further reading
- ForbesForbesForbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
; March 3, 2006 - Business Week; November 11, 2002
- Fortune Magazine; January 13, 1997; "BUD-WEIS-HEIR August Busch IV is rebellious, risk-taking--and (nearly) ready to rule the world's largest brewer".
- Under the Influence: The Unauthorized Story of the Anheuser-Busch Dynasty, Peter Hernon & Terry Ganey, Avon Books 1992