Who is the Owner of Kraft? Inside the Kraft Heinz Company & Its Planned Breakup

Who Owns Kraft?

Kraft is owned by The Kraft Heinz Company, a publicly traded food and beverage giant formed in 2015 when Kraft Foods Group merged with H.J. Heinz in a deal backed by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway and Brazilian private equity firm 3G Capital.

At the time of the merger, Kraft shareholders received 49% of the combined company and Heinz shareholders 51%, valuing the newly formed business at roughly $45 billion.

3G Capital, which drove much of the aggressive cost-cutting strategy in Kraft Heinz’s early years, quietly exited its entire stake by the end of 2023. Berkshire Hathaway remained the largest shareholder at around 27.4%, though reporting in early 2026 suggested Buffett’s company may be looking to reduce or exit that position after taking a $3.76 billion write-down on the stake.

In September 2025, Kraft Heinz announced plans to split into two independent public companies — one focused on grocery staples, the other on sauces and spreads — a move aimed at unwinding a merger that critics say never delivered the growth it promised. As of early 2026, that spinoff had been paused while the company evaluated a $600 million investment in marketing, sales, and R&D before making a final call.

Kraft Ownership History

Year	Event	Owner / Key Figure	Notes
2012	Original Kraft Foods splits in two	Kraft Foods Group / Mondelēz International	Snacks (Mondelez) separated from groceries (Kraft)
2015	Kraft Foods Group merges with Heinz	Berkshire Hathaway + 3G Capital	Creates The Kraft Heinz Company, ~$45B valuation
2023	3G Capital fully exits	Berkshire Hathaway (remains largest holder)	Quiet, gradual stake sale
2025–2026	Split into two companies announced, then paused	Kraft Heinz board	Berkshire reportedly weighing its own exit

About Kraft Heinz’s Ownership Structure

Unlike founder-controlled companies, Kraft Heinz is governed as a conventional public company with an institutional shareholder base, Berkshire Hathaway’s large stake being the most notable holdover from the 2015 merger that created the business.

The planned breakup reflects a broader trend across the packaged-food industry: large conglomerate structures built through 2010s-era mergers, once celebrated for cost synergies, have increasingly struggled to deliver the growth investors want, pushing companies like Kraft Heinz to consider unwinding what they built.

Key Ownership Highlights

• Kraft Heinz was one of the largest food-industry mergers ever: the 2015 deal, engineered by Berkshire Hathaway and 3G Capital, created a company valued at roughly $45 billion.
• 3G Capital’s exit happened quietly: the firm that drove aggressive early cost-cutting at Kraft Heinz had fully sold its stake by the end of 2023, with relatively little public attention.
• Berkshire Hathaway’s role has shifted from backer to potential seller: after a multi-billion-dollar write-down, reports in 2026 suggested Buffett’s company may be reducing its position.
• The planned 2026 split would undo the 2015 logic entirely: separating grocery staples from sauces and spreads, a decade after merging them was supposed to create value.
• The spinoff isn’t guaranteed to happen on the original timeline: the company paused the process in early 2026 to evaluate a $600 million investment before finalizing the decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who owns Kraft?

The Kraft Heinz Company, a publicly traded corporation formed by the 2015 merger of Kraft Foods Group and H.J. Heinz.

Is Warren Buffett still involved with Kraft Heinz?

Berkshire Hathaway remains the largest shareholder at roughly 27.4%, though reports in 2026 suggest the company may be considering reducing that stake.

Is 3G Capital still an owner?

No, 3G Capital fully exited its stake by the end of 2023.

Is Kraft splitting into separate companies?

A split was announced in September 2025 but paused in early 2026 pending a final decision after a planned $600 million investment.

What’s the difference between this post and Kraft Mac and Cheese’s ownership page?

This page covers the corporate ownership of Kraft as a whole under Kraft Heinz; the Mac and Cheese page focuses specifically on that individual product line.