Celestial Discharge: Creator of Red Bull,

The inventor of Krating Daeng, a.k.a. Red Bull, has died of natural causes at age 89. Chaleo Yoovidhya, founder of T.C.-Mycin (an antibiotics producer), made an energy drink that was marketed to the workers and truck drivers of Thailand. Later in the 80’s he teamed up with an Austrian businessman, Dietrich Mateschitz, to transform Red Bull into its current,hugely popular, globally distributed form. Chaleo was ranked as one of the world’s richest men, amassing several billion dollars in assets.

The Bangkok press explains that Krating Daeng means ‘red gaur’, a rare bovine creature that lives along the border with Cambodia. ‘Krating’ was changed to “bull” once the drink was distributed globally.

Funeral rites for Chaleo will last all this coming week at the Wat Khrua Wan Worawiharn in Bangkok. Pharmer hopes God smiles on the guy who kept truck drivers awake, and on the road these many years.

Caffeine is wonderful.