Okay, so last night I was scrolling through my phone drinking cheap beer, right? Saw this clickbaity headline “Who REALLY owns Reebok? You won’t BELIEVE!” and thought, man, I remember Reebok from my childhood. Bought some classics last year. Figured I’d chase this rabbit hole.
Started With Simple Google Searches
Typed “Reebok owner” straight into Google like a normal person would. First page was total garbage – bunch of articles contradicting each other. Some said Adidas, some shouted about this “Authentic Brands” thing, others mumbled about shareholders. Real confusing mess.
Checked Reebok’s official site next. Big mistake. Their “About Us” page talked about shoe technology and brand history like it’s 1999, but not one damn word about ownership. Felt like running on a treadmill – lots of sweat, zero progress.
Dove Into Business Records
Pulled up the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission website. Searched for Reebok International Limited filings. Found some old Adidas merger documents from 2005, super dusty. Noticed Adidas sold Reebok recently – like, August 2021 recent.
Here’s where it got interesting:
- Adidas AG sold Reebok to this company called ABG.
- ABG? That’s Authentic Brands Group – some big portfolio company.
- But ABG doesn’t operate the business, they license the brand.
The Shoe Dog Shuffle
Started tracing ABG’s money trail. Realized Authentic Brands Group is mostly owned by private equity firms and Jamie Salter, their founder. Then it clicked:
- Adidas transferred ownership to ABG.
- ABG licenses Reebok’s IP to other companies.
- Actual Reebok operations? Handled by a separate company…
Checked ABG’s press releases and bingo – found it. Reebok products now get made and sold by a company called SPARC Group, which ABG co-owns with Simon Property Group. So ABG controls the brand, SPARC runs the show. Mind officially blown.
The Sudden Realization
Sat back and laughed at my cheap beer. Truth is nobody “owns” Reebok like you’d own a car. It’s sliced up like corporate pizza:
- Authentic Brands Group holds the title (majority slice)
- SPARC manages operations (another slice)
- Private equity funds own chunks through ABG (crumbs everywhere)
Funniest part? Found zero mention of Salter or SPARC on Reebok’s website even now. Like they’re ghosts. Should’ve saved three hours and bet my buddy a beer instead. Lesson learned: never trust simple headlines. Things always messier underneath.
