Red Bull Creator Dies

He gave us wings ... and a caffeine buzz that keeps us up 'til the wee hours. Red Bull cofounder and Thai billionaire Chaleo Yoovidhya died Saturday of natural causes at age 89, the Associated Press has confirmed. Chaleo, Thailand's second-richest man, founded a pharmaceutical company in the 1970s that produced a prototype energy drink he called Krathing Daeng (Red Bull).

The beverage was particularly popular among Thai truck drivers and factory workers who needed to stay awake. Chaleo then cofounded Red Bull in 1984 with an Austrian partner who helped him turn the energy drink into a global brand. His eldest son, Chalerm Yoovidhya, now runs the company along with a family-owned wine business, Siam Winery.