Bayer AG
Company History
Bayer History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1863 in Leverkusen, Germany
When was Bayer founded?
Bayer was founded in 1863 in Leverkusen, Germany by Friedrich Bayer and Johann Friedrich Weskott, making it 163 years old.
- Founded
- 1863
- Founding place
- Leverkusen, Germany
- Founders
- Friedrich Bayer and Johann Friedrich Weskott
- Headquarters today
- Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
- Milestones documented
- 20 (1863–2026)
- Current CEO
- Bill Anderson
- Acquisitions
- 4
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1863 | Bayer Founded in Barmen, Germany |
| 1898 | Heroin Marketed as a Cough Suppressant |
| 1899 | Aspirin Registered as a Trademark |
| 1903 | Veronal Barbiturate Sleep Aid Launched |
| 1912 | Headquarters Moved to Leverkusen |
| 1918 | US Assets Confiscated During World War I |
| 1925 | Merger into IG Farben |
| 1932 | Prontosil Discovered by Gerhard Domagk |
| 1951 | Re-established After the IG Farben Dissolution |
| 1994 | US Bayer Trademark Rights Reclaimed |
| 2001 | Baycol Withdrawn Worldwide |
| 2006 | Schering AG Acquired for About EUR 17 Billion |
| 2014 | Merck Consumer Care Acquired for USD 14.2 Billion |
| 2015 | Covestro Spin-off |
| 2018 | Monsanto Acquisition Completed for About USD 63 Billion |
| 2020 | USD 10.9 Billion Roundup Settlement |
| 2023 | Bill Anderson Becomes CEO |
| 2024 | Dynamic Shared Ownership Rolled Out |
| 2025 | Nubeqa Approved in the US for Metastatic Castration-Sensitive Prostate Cancer |
| 2026 | Supreme Court Preemption Ruling and Proposed USD 7.25 Billion Roundup Class Settlement |
- Where was Bayer founded?
- Bayer was founded in Leverkusen, Germany in 1863.
- Who founded Bayer?
- Bayer was founded by Friedrich Bayer and Johann Friedrich Weskott.
- When did Bayer start?
- Bayer was founded in 1863.
- How old is Bayer?
- Bayer is 163 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
In 1863 a dye salesman, Friedrich Bayer, and a master dyer, Johann Friedrich Weskott, started a company in Barmen, Germany, to make synthetic dyes for textiles. The turn toward medicine came in 1897, when the Bayer chemist Felix Hoffmann synthesized a stable, pure form of acetylsalicylic acid. Bayer registered the trademark Aspirin in 1899 and built a global marketing and distribution system around it, which turned a dye works into a pharmaceutical company.
Founders
Friedrich Bayer
Bayer was founded in 1863 in Barmen, now part of Wuppertal, Germany, by two men with complementary skills: Friedrich Bayer, a dye merchant, and Johann Friedrich Weskott, a master dyer. They started during the rapid growth of German synthetic chemistry, when the textile industry was switching from expensive natural dyes to cheaper coal-tar colours. Their firm, Friedr. Bayer et comp., made synthetic fuchsine and aniline dyes. Bayer handled commercial expansion and sales, Weskott the manufacturing processes. The company later moved its main plant and head office to Leverkusen on the Rhine, which is still the headquarters. As the dye market saturated in the late nineteenth century, Bayer's chemists began looking at medical uses for their compounds. In 1897 the Bayer chemist Felix Hoffmann synthesized acetylsalicylic acid in a stable, pure form; Bayer registered the trademark Aspirin in 1899 and marketed it worldwide, which turned a dye works into a pharmaceutical company. Friedrich Bayer was born in 1825.
Johann Friedrich Weskott
Johann Friedrich Weskott was a German master dyer who co-founded what became Bayer. In 1863 he and his friend Friedrich Bayer, a dye salesman, formed Friedr. Bayer et comp. in Barmen, now part of Wuppertal, Germany. Bayer concentrated on sales and commercial expansion; Weskott provided the hands-on technical work needed to make synthetic dyes at consistent quality, overseeing production of fuchsine and aniline dyes. That manufacturing capability was what allowed the young firm to grow before it moved into pharmaceuticals. Weskott died in 1876, more than two decades before the Aspirin trademark was registered. Johann Friedrich Weskott was born in 1821.
Key Milestones
Bayer Founded in Barmen, Germany
Friedrich Bayer and Johann Friedrich Weskott entered Friedrich Bayer et. Compagnie into the commercial register in Barmen, Germany, on August 1, 1863, to make synthetic fuchsine and aniline dyes for the textile industry using the new coal-tar chemistry.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgHeroin Marketed as a Cough Suppressant
Bayer began selling diacetylmorphine under the trademark Heroin as a cough suppressant and a supposedly non-addictive substitute for morphine. It stayed in Bayer's range until after World War I, long after its addictiveness was understood.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAspirin Registered as a Trademark
The Bayer chemist Felix Hoffmann had synthesized acetylsalicylic acid in a stable, pure form in 1897, and Bayer registered the trademark Aspirin on March 6, 1899. It became the first mass-market synthetic medicine and is still one of the most widely used.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgVeronal Barbiturate Sleep Aid Launched
Bayer licensed diethylbarbituric acid from Emil Fischer and Joseph von Mering and sold it as Veronal, the first barbiturate sleep aid. The same line of research produced phenobarbital in 1911, which became a mainstay of epilepsy treatment and remains on the WHO List of Essential Medicines.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgHeadquarters Moved to Leverkusen
Under Carl Duisberg, Bayer moved its main chemical plant and head office to Leverkusen on the Rhine, building one of the largest industrial chemical sites in Europe. Leverkusen is still the group headquarters.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgUS Assets Confiscated During World War I
Bayer's US assets and trademarks, including the Aspirin trademark, were confiscated by the Alien Property Custodian and sold to Sterling Products. Bayer lost its largest export market and the right to its own name in North America for decades.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgMerger into IG Farben
Bayer merged with BASF, Hoechst, Agfa and other German chemical companies to form IG Farbenindustrie AG, then the largest chemical and pharmaceutical group in the world. IG Farben's role in the Nazi war effort led the Allies to dissolve it after World War II.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgProntosil Discovered by Gerhard Domagk
Gerhard Domagk, leading a research team in the Bayer laboratories, developed Prontosil, the first sulfonamide antibacterial and the forerunner of modern antibiotics. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1939 for the work.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgRe-established After the IG Farben Dissolution
Bayer was reincorporated as Farbenfabriken Bayer AG in 1951 after the Allied dissolution of IG Farben and rebuilt as an independent chemical and pharmaceutical company during West Germany's post-war recovery.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgUS Bayer Trademark Rights Reclaimed
Bayer bought Sterling Winthrop's over-the-counter drug business from SmithKline Beecham for about USD 1 billion, recovering the US and Canadian rights to the Bayer name and the Bayer Cross confiscated in 1918, plus the Aspirin trademark in Canada.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgBaycol Withdrawn Worldwide
Bayer voluntarily withdrew its cholesterol drug Baycol, sold as Lipobay outside the United States, in August 2001 after cases of fatal rhabdomyolysis, particularly at higher doses and in combination with gemfibrozil. US court records link 31 deaths in the United States to the drug.
Source: oag.ca.govSchering AG Acquired for About EUR 17 Billion
Bayer acquired Schering AG of Berlin for about $19.2 billion (EUR 17 billion) after counter-bidding against a hostile approach from Merck KGaA, adding the Mirena contraceptive franchise, oncology assets and a European pharmaceutical sales force. It was Bayer's largest acquisition until Monsanto.
Source: theguardian.comMerck Consumer Care Acquired for USD 14.2 Billion
Bayer closed the purchase of the consumer care business of Merck and Co. on October 1, 2014 for USD 14.2 billion in cash, adding Claritin, Coppertone and Dr. Scholl's and making Bayer one of the largest non-prescription medicine companies in the world.
Source: merck.comCovestro Spin-off
Bayer listed its materials science division as Covestro through an IPO on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, ending its presence in plastics and polymers and leaving a group focused on pharmaceuticals, consumer health and crop science.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgMonsanto Acquisition Completed for About USD 63 Billion
Bayer completed the acquisition of Monsanto on June 7, 2018, paying USD 128 per share, about USD 63 billion in total, the largest foreign acquisition by a German company. Regulators required divestments to BASF, the Monsanto name was retired, and the first Roundup cancer verdict followed within weeks.
Source: bayer.comUSD 10.9 Billion Roundup Settlement
Bayer agreed to pay about USD 10.9 billion to settle roughly 113,000 Roundup claims while continuing to maintain that glyphosate does not cause cancer. The programme did not end the litigation and new claims kept arriving.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgBill Anderson Becomes CEO
Werner Baumann retired at the end of May 2023 after 35 years at Bayer. Bill Anderson, previously head of Roche's pharmaceuticals division and of Genentech, joined the Board of Management in April and became CEO on June 1, 2023.
Source: bayer.comDynamic Shared Ownership Rolled Out
Bayer began introducing the Dynamic Shared Ownership operating model, replacing layers of middle management with self-directed teams. Bayer says the change has removed about 12,000 positions and roughly 50 percent of its management positions, and it underpins a ~$2.26 billion (EUR 2 billion) annual savings target for 2026.
Source: bayer.comNubeqa Approved in the US for Metastatic Castration-Sensitive Prostate Cancer
The FDA approved Nubeqa (darolutamide) in June 2025 for metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer, a third indication, followed by EU authorization in July 2025. Nubeqa sales rose 56.6 percent to ~$2.7 billion (EUR 2,385 million) in a year when group sales were ~$51.5 billion (EUR 45,575 million).
Source: reports.bayer.comSupreme Court Preemption Ruling and Proposed USD 7.25 Billion Roundup Class Settlement
In February 2026 Monsanto proposed a US nationwide class settlement funded by declining annual payments of up to USD 7.25 billion over as long as 21 years, which received preliminary approval in March 2026. In June 2026 the US Supreme Court ruled 7 to 2 in the Durnell case that federal pesticide law preempts state failure-to-warn claims where the EPA has made a definitive safety determination. About 65,000 claims were still pending in September 2026.
Source: reports.bayer.comMajor Acquisitions
Sterling Winthrop OTC Business
1994Bayer bought Sterling Winthrop's over-the-counter drug business from SmithKline Beecham for about USD 1 billion to recover the US and Canadian rights to the Bayer name and the Bayer Cross, confiscated during World War I, together with the Aspirin trademark in Canada.
Schering AG
2006Bayer acquired Schering AG of Berlin for about $19.2 billion (EUR 17 billion), roughly USD 21 billion, after counter-bidding against a hostile approach from Merck KGaA. The deal added the Mirena contraceptive franchise, oncology assets and a European pharmaceutical sales force.
Merck Consumer Care
2014Bayer bought the consumer care business of Merck and Co. for USD 14.2 billion in cash, closing on October 1, 2014, to scale its non-prescription portfolio. The deal brought in Claritin, Coppertone and Dr. Scholl's.
Monsanto Company
2018Bayer acquired Monsanto on June 7, 2018 at USD 128 per share, about USD 63 billion, to combine its crop protection chemistry with Monsanto's seed genetics, biotech traits and the Climate FieldView digital platform. Antitrust clearance required divestments of crop science assets to BASF.
Keep researching Bayer
Bayer Company History FAQ
What were the major eras in Bayer's history from 1863 to 1951?
Founded in 1863 as a dyestuff maker, Bayer invented Aspirin in 1897, relocated to Leverkusen in 1912, was merged into German chemical conglomerate I.G. Farben from 1925 to 1945, and was re-established as an independent corporation in 1951.
How was Bayer reconstituted after the breakup of I.G. Farben following World War II?
Following the dissolution of I.G. Farben by the Allied High Commission in 1951, Farbenfabriken Bayer AG was re-established as an independent German company in Leverkusen, rapidly modernizing pharmaceuticals and agricultural chemicals during the economic miracle.
How did Bayer resolve the 2001 Baycol (Lipobay) cholesterol drug crisis?
Bayer voluntarily withdrew its cholesterol drug Baycol, sold as Lipobay outside the United States, worldwide in August 2001 after cases of fatal rhabdomyolysis, especially at high doses and when combined with gemfibrozil. US court records link 31 deaths in the United States to the drug. CEO Werner Wenning, who took over in April 2002, spent his early years settling the claims, and in 2008 Bayer paid USD 8 million to resolve marketing claims brought by a group of US states.
When did Bayer spin off its chemical and plastics division as Covestro?
In October 2015, Bayer completed the initial public offering and phased demerger of its material science division as Covestro AG on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, completing Bayer's strategic transformation into a pure life sciences conglomerate.
What occurred during the acquisition of Monsanto and the subsequent litigation crisis in 2018 to 2020?
Bayer completed the Monsanto acquisition on June 7, 2018 at USD 128 per share, about USD 63 billion. Weeks later a California jury found that Roundup caused Dewayne Johnson's non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and tens of thousands of claims followed. Bayer agreed to pay about USD 10.9 billion in 2020 to settle roughly 113,000 of them, and about 65,000 claims were still pending in September 2026.
What happened with Bayer's prostate cancer drug Nubeqa in 2025?
The FDA approved Nubeqa (darolutamide), developed jointly with Orion Corporation, for metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer in June 2025, a third indication, and the European Union followed in July 2025. Nubeqa sales rose 56.6 percent to ~$2.7 billion (EUR 2,385 million) in 2025, making it Bayer's second-largest medicine.
What was the significant leadership transition when Bill Anderson became CEO in 2023?
Werner Baumann retired at the end of May 2023 after 35 years at Bayer, and Bill Anderson became CEO on June 1, 2023 after joining the Board of Management in April. Anderson introduced the Dynamic Shared Ownership operating model, held the dividend at the legal minimum of EUR 0.11 per share to pay down debt, and reorganized pharmaceutical research.
What are Bayer's main priorities after 2025?
Bayer is working on four things: capping the Roundup litigation through the June 2026 Supreme Court preemption ruling and a proposed class settlement worth up to USD 7.25 billion, cutting net financial debt, which fell 8.5 percent to ~$33.7 billion (EUR 29,843 million) in 2025, delivering ~$2.26 billion (EUR 2 billion) of annual savings from Dynamic Shared Ownership by 2026, and scaling Nubeqa, Kerendia and the 2025 and 2026 launches.
Did Bayer invent Aspirin?
Yes, Bayer was founded in 1863 as a dyestuffs factory, but famously synthesized and trademarked Aspirin in 1899, revolutionizing the global pharmaceutical industry.
Related Strategic History
Compare founding milestones and corporate evolution
Explore Bayer
Core profile pages, founders and related research hubs for this company.