In 2005, which consumer goods company acquired the Gillette Company for $57 billion?

In 2005, Procter & Gamble acquired the Gillette Company in a stock deal valued at approximately $57 billion.

P&G announced the transaction in January 2005, describing it as a merger that would create the world’s largest consumer-products company. The deal joined P&G’s household, beauty, and personal-care businesses with Gillette’s leading grooming, battery, and oral-care brands. It officially took effect on October 1, 2005, after approval from U.S. and European regulators.

The acquisition gave P&G ownership of famous names including Gillette razors, Duracell batteries, Braun appliances, and Oral-B dental-care products. It also expanded P&G’s global reach and strengthened its position in categories where brand recognition and repeat purchases were especially valuable. Some overlapping products were sold to satisfy competition concerns, including certain toothbrush, toothpaste, and deodorant brands.

A common confusion is treating Gillette as only a razor brand. Before the deal, The Gillette Company was a diversified consumer-products corporation, and its non-razor businesses were a major part of the transaction. P&G later dissolved the internal Global Gillette unit in 2007, distributing its brands among other divisions.