Red Bull Energy

By Andrew Purvis/Vienna

Few people can say they created an industry. But Dietrich Mateschitz founded a company in his native Austria that has changed the way young people party around the world. Red Bull, the champion of hypercaffeinated energy drinks, posted sales of $1.5 billion last year, 70% of the global market. He credits a thirst for "antiauthoritarian" products. His sponsorship of ultrasports like street luge and winter surfing has tapped a vein of young male consumers. Mateschitz, a climber and snowboarder, wants to promote a product and a lifestyle. "Extreme sports are more than a marketing tool," he says. At this month's Red Bull Giants of Rio Challenge in Rio de Janeiro, competitors will swim through pounding surf and run 20 km. No wonder Mateschitz is into extreme sports: he says he downs 10 cans of Red Bull a day. By Andrew Purvis/Vienna