A Downward Spiral
At the beginning of his story, August Busch IV had nearly everything he could ever want, and was on track to attain everything else. However, he made increasingly worse decisions that gave him a poor reputation early on, even if his wealth often helped him get out of trouble.
Still, destruction seemed to follow him like a plague, and he would see far more severe consequences of his actions—even fatal ones.
1. He Came From A Dynasty
Long before August Busch IV had any dealings with the law, he was already familiar with the spotlight, primarily through association with his family. As the eldest son of brewing magnate August Busch III, his great-great-grandfather, Adolphus Busch, was the co-founder of the Anheuser-Busch brewing company. Since its creation in the mid-1800s, the company had grown into an empire—one that August IV stood to inherit.
Just like a real royal family, their power struggles were intense.
2. His Father Was Vicious
The mix of business and family in the Busch clan was just as messy as one would imagine, and August IV’s father had no problem turning against his own. In fact, when August III was ready to take over as company president, he accelerated the process by convincing the rest of the family that his own father was senile and unfit to lead, taking control in 1974.
This ruthlessness affected his son as well.
3. They Weren’t Close
As he grew older, August Busch IV realized fairly quickly that his father wasn’t what anyone could call a family man, especially after his mother and August III divorced. From the time he was only five years old, any time that August IV spent with his father was strictly about business, and almost exclusively at their brewery.
Unfortunately, he would have more severe things to worry about.
4. His Car Flipped
August IV was on track to be the company’s golden boy, but it all started going downhill with one horrible incident at the age of 19. On November 13, 1983, August was driving with Michele Frederick, a 21-year-old waitress with whom he had just left a bar. In an instant, his car flipped while riding a curve well-known for crashes, and Michele perished immediately.
But then, his own decisions made things even worse.
5. He Ran Away
While the crash resulted in Michele’s passing, August Busch IV survived and was well enough to walk—so, he fled the scene and failed to notify anyone about what happened. Eventually, someone called the authorities, who came upon the scene to find a handgun inside the car, scattered Bud Light cans, and, most incriminating of all, August’s wallet and ID.
Fortunately, he didn’t go too far.
6. They Found Him
In the time immediately following the crash, August didn’t seem to be in any mental state to think clearly, and so rather than turn himself in or flee the country, he went home. It didn’t take long for the law to catch up to him at his townhouse, where they discovered him bloodied and dazed, accompanied by more than one loaded weapon.
Of course, consequences aren’t always the same for the ultra-rich.
7. They Lost The Evidence
Despite his possibly dangerous appearance, August Busch IV was clearly more confused than hostile, and immediately cooperated with authorities. He provided both blood and urine samples so they could see how inebriated he was, but bizarrely, a mistake in the lab made his blood impossible to examine. Then, the plot thickened. His urine sample also seemingly vanished from the hospital.
As such, he would see no repercussions for the crash that cost Michele Frederick her life.
8. They Wouldn’t Charge Him
The authorities were at a complete loss—but even though August’s biological samples couldn’t be tested, they still continued to conduct their investigation for the next year. Ultimately, they didn’t find anything substantial, so the District Attorney refused to charge him. According to the DA, no witness could corroborate August’s inebriated state, and he allegedly wasn’t going fast enough to warrant any charges.
Still, it was only a short time before he got in trouble again.
9. He Was Chased
Just two years after the crash that took the life of Michele Frederick, August once again had a run-in with the law while driving. On May 31, 1985, August nearly ran into another car—which turned out to be an undercover law enforcement vehicle. Suddenly, officers began following his car, and the situation quickly got out of hand.
Apparently, this was all a misunderstanding.
10. They Were Mistaken
Upon realizing that the unmarked vehicle was following him, August Busch IV had no plans of stopping, and only drove faster and faster. Likewise, the authorities were intent on catching him, so it soon turned into a high-speed pursuit, and not a short one. For twenty minutes, both vehicles careened through the city at around 90 mph.
Fortunately, this ended before anyone was seriously injured.
11. They Stopped Him
According to later statements by August, he was so frantic and set on eluding the officers chasing him because, since they were undercover, he believed they were trying to kidnap him. Eventually, though, the pursuit came to an abrupt end when the authorities caught up and shot his back tire out, stopping the vehicle.
Even then, they treated him differently.
12. They Were Apologetic
Just as August Busch IV had allegedly believed that kidnappers were chasing him, the officers revealed that the only reason they pursued him was because they thought he was a dealer. As it happened, when the chase finally stopped and August got out of his car, the officers realized who he was and wanted to fix the situation…so they changed his tire for him.
This didn’t mean he was totally off the hook yet.
13. They Still Held Him Accountable
Even if the authorities could chalk up the whole car chase to a simple misunderstanding, or perhaps a fear of kidnapping and ransom, other details surfaced that made the incident more complicated for August. Not only had authorities found another handgun in his car, but he had supposedly nearly run over two officers during the pursuit.
Of course, history was set to repeat itself.
14. He Got Off Scot Free
Due to his reckless driving, which threatened the lives of two officers, authorities charged August with three counts of third-degree assault, but this didn’t go anywhere. At the trial, his lawyer’s argument that August feared for his own safety was enough for the jury, who ultimately acquitted him of any charges.
This allowed him to return to his place in the family.
15. He Started At The Bottom
By his mid-20s, August Busch IV had graduated from university and was ready to enter the family business, but it wasn’t that easy. Rather than give him a high-ranking position in Anheuser-Busch, it was family tradition to start out with more humble beginnings. Like his father before him, August started as an entry-level employee and worked his way up.
Fortunately for him, he had a welcome perspective.
16. He Was Out Of Touch
August quickly rose through the ranks into marketing, where he worked on several significant concepts and branding strategies. One major idea was the new brand launch for Bud Dry, but not everyone was onboard with it. As per usual, August and his father’s views clashed on this, as August III later admitted he no longer understood what their younger demographic wanted.
Meanwhile, August IV was entertaining other priorities.
17. He Was A Daredevil
August’s reckless attitude spread into all aspects of his life, and the early 1990s had him participating with the Bud Dry Draft team in a dozen offshore powerboat races. Knowing he had already gotten into trouble with high-speed vehicles multiple times, August III increased his son’s workload with the company to avoid any further incidents.
However, he may have come to regret this decision.
18. He Wanted A Change
To give him more responsibility in Anheuser-Busch, August III named his son Vice President of Brand Management in 1994, after which August Busch IV hit the ground running. Realizing his father was a bit behind the times, August IV leveled with him and stated that they would have to remodel the entire Budweiser brand if they wanted it to be more successful.
He backed this up with some suggestions of his own.
19. He Had Big Ideas
Picking up the slack where his father had fallen off, August IV asserted that their brand needed to make more memorable and flashy commercials, even if they were a gamble. He came up with several ideas to stand out in the modern day, one of which was an ad that featured a group of frog puppets croaking the name Budweiser.
Luckily for him, this turned out well.
20. He Pulled It Off
Following the “Budweiser Frogs,” the brand continued to incorporate funny, colorful animals in their marketing, which proved to be the right decision. By the end of 1998, Budweiser sales skyrocketed to their most lucrative year in history, and Anheuser-Busch stock had risen by 27%.
With this success, August Busch IV continued to climb the company ladder.
21. He Rose In Rank
Throughout the 1990s, August IV demonstrated to his father and the rest of the company that he was capable of setting them on the right path, and he was soon rewarded for it. Taking the position of group vice president of marketing and wholesale operations, August was able to influence the branding in a fresh and more creative direction.
However, there were a few hiccups.
22. He Was Passed Over
By 2002, August III’s time had run its course, and he stepped down as president and CEO of Anheuser-Busch. August IV had been working and waiting for this opportunity to take the throne, but in a stunning twist, the board chose someone else. Instead, Anheuser-Busch executive Patrick Stokes took his place, making him the company’s first CEO who wasn’t part of the Busch family.
Suddenly, the future wasn’t looking so bright for August IV.
23. He Heard The Rumors
It seems August Busch IV lucked out once again as the board’s decision to pass him over was truly just a hiccup, and he became president and CEO of the company in 2006. Unfortunately for everyone, he didn’t take the position at a great time, considering gossip had been spreading that the brewing company InBev was trying to buy Anheuser-Busch.
Behind the scenes, he made a big step in his personal life.
24. He Found Someone
Living the typical wealthy businessman’s lifestyle, August had a reputation for being a bit of a player, but he finally decided to settle down in 2006, shortly before he became CEO. That summer, the 40-year-old August IV married Kathryn Thatcher, who was 16 years younger than him.
Meanwhile, more than beer was being made at the company—trouble was brewing too.
25. He Was Sure
As the 2000s progressed, August Busch IV noticed that rumors of the company’s purchase were becoming more serious. To ensure Anheuser-Busch’s autonomy, he suggested they acquire full ownership of the Grupo Modelo brewery, as they only owned 50%. To reassure his associates, he also stated that no one would ever buy the company while he had a say in it.
This confidence didn’t last.
26. He Gave It Up
Even if August truly believed he could avoid selling the company, that changed with InBev’s final offer of $70 per share of the company stock, and promises to retain him on the board. Finally, going against his previous sweeping declaration, August agreed to end over 150 years of his family’s ownership of Anheuser-Busch, which sold to InBev in 2008.
The company wasn’t the only thing he said goodbye to.
27. They Split Up
It’s hard to say whether August’s relationship with Kathryn Thatcher was happy at first, but regardless, their marriage deteriorated quickly in the months that followed their wedding. During that time, they hadn’t had any children, and with a signed prenuptial agreement, their divorce in 2008 went through in the blink of an eye.
Even his own family was against him.
28. He Was Behind It
Since August III had stepped down as CEO and August IV subsequently took his place, the relationship between the two had become only colder and more distant. However, it seems August IV underestimated his father’s bitterness, as it later came to light that August III had orchestrated InBev’s takeover of Anheuser-Busch.
Still, losing his wife and company were the least of his worries.
29. She Was Found
Shortly after his divorce, August jumped into another relationship with 27-year-old Adrienne Nicole Martin, but this would last only about two years as well—and come to a tragic end. Authorities received a call on December 19, 2010, from a worker in August’s house, who frantically reported the discovery of Adrienne’s lifeless body inside.
This time, August stuck around.
30. He Told Them Where She Was
Unlike the incident when he was 19, August Busch IV waited patiently for law enforcement to arrive, at which point they found him at the patio door. There were no issues in getting his cooperation, and he told the authorities that Adrienne was in the bedroom, but that she wasn’t breathing. Sure enough, they found her lying on the bed, having already passed.
August also recounted the previous night.
31. She Wasn’t Well
After authorities determined that Adrienne had passed, August told them everything that had led up to her demise. He had noticed something was wrong the previous evening when they were out to dinner, as she wasn’t feeling well and had little appetite. After returning to his house, she didn’t want to go to sleep and stayed up, so August went to bed without her.
Soon enough, he realized what had happened.
32. He Couldn’t Wake Her
Although Adrienne did eventually go to bed around 2 am, August Busch IV got up an hour later to find her awake once again, but in somewhat of a daze. Thinking little of it, he returned to his slumber, which lasted until about one in the afternoon. Once he eventually got up and later checked on her, he found her unresponsive.
Even with August’s testimony, investigators weren’t any closer to the truth.
33. They Had No Answers
Especially since this wasn’t August’s first brush with the law, a lot of questions were in the air about exactly how Adrienne had passed on. Unfortunately, the solutions weren’t so easy, especially after the initial autopsy came up with no definitive cause. Therefore, authorities began their official investigation.
However, someone else came forward with some information.
34. She Was Sick
As the police searched for answers, a possible cause of Adrienne’s demise came to light as her ex-husband, osteopathic physician Kevin J Martin, spoke up. According to him, Adrienne had been living with a dangerous heart condition called Long QT syndrome, which had the potential to turn fatal at any moment.
Finally, they discovered the truth.
35. They Made A Decision
In 2011, as part of the ongoing investigation, the authorities ordered a toxicology report for Adrienne. The results revealed she had oxycodone and other substances in her system, as she had been using them for a long time. Ultimately, the county prosecutor declared her demise an accident, due to excessive use of illicit substances.
Meanwhile, August awaited his fate.
36. They Were Finished
With the largely conclusive results of Adrienne’s toxicology, the investigation into her passing concluded, and it was all chalked up to an unfortunate tragedy. Just as with August’s previous run-ins with law enforcement, no prosecutor was willing to press charges against him, citing a lack of any incriminating evidence.
Of course, not everyone agreed with this decision.
37. They Had Other Ideas
Unfortunately, there appeared to be several similarities between Adrienne’s passing and August’s car crash when he was 19, especially in the investigations. In both cases, August managed to avoid any responsibility, which led to public speculation that he may have been at fault and that his wealth and influence had made the problem disappear again.
At the same time, someone else hadn’t finished talking.
38. He Said They Were Close
During the investigation, officers had been following up on every lead they could, including interviewing Kevin Martin, Adrienne’s ex-husband. According to him, there was no animosity between him and August Busch IV. But then he took it even further. Strangely, Dr Martin claimed were “almost like brothers,” and that he was worried about August.
However, this so-called “friendship” wouldn’t last too long.
39. He Held Him Responsible
It’s hard to believe the two men were ever that close, considering what followed. In 2011, Dr Martin filed a lawsuit against August on behalf of his and Adrienne’s son. The suit blamed August for her passing, arguing that his negligence led to her overindulgence in illicit substances. Fortunately, for Kevin, he wasn’t alone in this.
40. They Joined In
Naturally, August Busch IV adamantly denied any negligence or responsibility in Adrienne’s passing, and supported the ruling of an accidental demise. Dr Martin wasn’t ready to back down, and soon received further support from Adrienne’s parents, who joined him in the lawsuit and even hired famed New York lawyer John Q Kelly for it.
It was a short lawsuit.
41. They Made A Deal
Neither side’s case was perfect, as even though August’s testimony was vague, Adrienne’s mother worried that Kevin’s supposed friendship with August would be problematic for them. In the end, though, August gave in and settled the suit, entitling Kevin to nearly $2 million on behalf of his son.
Even after this, the law hadn’t seen the last of August.
42. They Didn’t Find Anyone
August Busch IV managed to avoid any other major scandals for most of the 2010s, but toward the later end, his name popped up in the press again. Authorities in Swansea, Illinois, arrived at an office park on July 10, 2017, as someone had reported that a helicopter landed near the buildings in the area. However, when they got there, no one was around.
They didn’t have to wait too long, though.
43. He Came Back
Seeing as there was no one to charge, the authorities left the helicopter for the time being, but they got another call before the day was out. According to the caller that night, the pilot had returned and was attempting to take off, but appeared far too inebriated. When officers arrived at the helicopter again, they found August inside.
Something about him felt off.
44. He Was Suspicious
While authorities did find August Busch IV in an unusual state of mind, acting nervous and scattered, this was arguably the least bizarre detail. Aside from the fact that he had landed his helicopter in an office park and abandoned it, they found about seven small dogs inside the chopper with him.
Naturally, they followed the normal procedure for impaired driving.
45. They Weren’t Satisfied
Based on August’s erratic actions and the nature of the call about him, authorities acted accordingly and administered a breathalyzer test to him. Shockingly, as the officers’ report later stated, the test showed only zeroes. However, his speech was disoriented and slurred, and he failed other sobriety tests, so the officers were hesitant to let him go.
Even so, he was almost out of the woods.
46. They Changed Their Mind
Although he had failed several sobriety tests, the authorities eventually felt August Busch IV was okay to leave and told him he was free to do so. However, instead of quietly accepting this judgment and going home, August continued to speak with them. As his speech continued to descend into disjointed nonsense, they chose to keep him around for a bit more.
It soon became more evident that this was the right call.
47. They Found More
Holding August for further questioning, the authorities inspected the helicopter more thoroughly, finding a few more significant contents beyond the dogs. Like many times before, the officers discovered that August had been traveling with four pieces of loaded weaponry, along with a couple of bottles of prescription medication.
Once again, someone else came forward with some integral details.
48. She Spoke To Them
August had been dating a woman named Dawna Wood for several years, to the point that when she later spoke to authorities, she referred to their relationship as a marriage. She also provided some details that illuminated the situation further, stating that August had been taking anxiety medication until recently, when he stopped to undergo a fertility treatment.
Even without this information at the time, the officers reached a decision.
49. They Didn’t Let Him Go
When it came down to it, August Busch IV wasn’t in any sort of state to be flying on his own, even though he had passed the breathalyzer test. Authorities finally took him into custody as a result of his being intoxicated in an aircraft and unlawfully using a weapon. With all this in mind, it was easy for the officers to obtain a warrant to issue him a blood test.
However, for August, this truly was just another Monday.
50. He Was Let Off Again
August Busch IV spent much of his life getting into trouble, only to miraculously emerge unscathed and continue his wild and high-profile lifestyle. Even in 2017, as he had reached the age of 53, the helicopter incident was no different. He complied with the court-ordered blood test and submitted to it at the hospital, only for it to come up with nothing in his system, allowing him to walk away without any charges yet again.
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