AbbVie vs Coca-Cola: Founders, CEOs and History

Company facts

Founders

CEOs and their tenures

Timeline: AbbVie and Coca-Cola side by side

1. 1892Coca-Cola

   The Coca-Cola Company Founded

   Asa Griggs Candler incorporated The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta in 1892 after acquiring rights connected to John Pemberton's original formula.

2. 1899Coca-Cola

   National Bottling Rights Granted

   In 1899, Benjamin F. Thomas and Joseph B. Whitehead secured rights to bottle Coca-Cola across much of the United States. The deal looked less important than the fountain business at first, but it became the foundation of Coca-Cola's physical reach.

3. 1915Coca-Cola

   Contour Bottle Introduced

   Coca-Cola introduced the contour bottle design in 1915 to make the product recognizable and harder to imitate. At a time when copycat colas were common, the bottle gave consumers a visual and tactile cue that they were buying the real product.

4. 1919Coca-Cola

   Company Sold for $25 Million

   In 1919, the Candler family sold Coca-Cola to a group of investors led by Ernest Woodruff for $25 million. The transaction signaled that Coca-Cola had become a valuable national business rather than a regional success.

5. 1928Coca-Cola

   Olympic Sponsorship Begins

   Coca-Cola began its Olympic sponsorship in 1928, linking the brand to international sport and public celebration. The partnership mattered because it gave Coca-Cola a platform that crossed language and national boundaries.

6. 1985Coca-Cola

   New Coke Reversal

   Coca-Cola introduced New Coke in 1985 after taste tests suggested a sweeter formula could compete more effectively with Pepsi. Consumers rejected the change because the original product had emotional and cultural value beyond flavor.

7. 2008Coca-Cola

   Muhtar Kent Becomes CEO

   Muhtar Kent became CEO in 2008 during a period when emerging markets, bottler alignment, and category diversification were becoming more important.

8. 2009Coca-Cola

   Freestyle Fountain System Unveiled

   Coca-Cola unveiled Freestyle in 2009, giving foodservice customers a fountain dispenser with more than 100 beverage choices.

9. 2013AbbVie

   AbbVie Launches as an Independent Company

   AbbVie launched after Abbott Laboratories separated its research-based pharmaceutical business and began NYSE trading under ABBV.

10. 2015AbbVie

    Pharmacyclics Acquisition Completed

    AbbVie completed its acquisition of Pharmacyclics, adding Imbruvica and expanding its hematologic oncology business.

11. 2017Coca-Cola

    Topo Chico Joins the Portfolio

    Coca-Cola acquired Topo Chico in 2017, adding a premium sparkling mineral water brand sourced from Cerro del Topo Chico in northern Mexico.

12. 2017Coca-Cola

    James Quincey Becomes CEO

    James Quincey became CEO in 2017 and accelerated the push toward a total beverage strategy. He emphasized revenue growth management, zero-sugar products, refranchising discipline, and fewer but stronger brands.

13. 2019AbbVie

    Skyrizi Receives Initial U.S. Approval

    The FDA approved Skyrizi for adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in April 2019.

14. 2019AbbVie

    Rinvoq Receives Initial U.S. Approval

    The FDA approved Rinvoq for adults with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis in August 2019.

15. 2019Coca-Cola

    Costa Coffee Acquisition

    Coca-Cola completed the Costa Coffee acquisition in 2019, adding a coffee platform with retail stores, Costa Express vending, for-home formats, and ready-to-drink potential.

16. 2020AbbVie

    Allergan Acquisition Completed

    AbbVie completed the Allergan acquisition, adding neuroscience, eye care, and Allergan Aesthetics products including Botox and Juvederm.

17. 2021Coca-Cola

    BodyArmor Full Acquisition

    Coca-Cola acquired full control of BodyArmor in 2021 in a transaction valued at about $5.6 billion for the remaining stake. The deal deepened Coca-Cola's position in sports drinks, a category long led by PepsiCo's Gatorade.

18. 2023AbbVie

    U.S. Humira Biosimilar Competition Begins

    Humira began facing U.S. biosimilar competition, and AbbVie reported a subsequent decline in Humira revenue.

19. 2023Coca-Cola

    $45.8B Revenue

    In FY2023, Coca-Cola reported $45.8 billion in revenue, continuing its recovery from the pandemic-era decline in away-from-home channels.

20. 2024AbbVie

    ImmunoGen Acquisition Completed

    AbbVie completed its acquisition of ImmunoGen, adding Elahere and antibody-drug conjugate programs.

21. 2024AbbVie

    Robert A. Michael Becomes CEO

    Robert A. Michael succeeded Richard A. Gonzalez as chief executive officer effective July 1, 2024.

22. 2024AbbVie

    Cerevel Therapeutics Acquisition Completed

    AbbVie completed its acquisition of Cerevel Therapeutics, adding clinical-stage neuroscience programs.

23. 2024Coca-Cola

    $47.1B Revenue

    In FY2024, Coca-Cola reported $47.1 billion in revenue, with organic performance supported heavily by price/mix and concentrate sales timing.

24. 2025AbbVie

    Robert A. Michael Becomes Chairman

    Robert A. Michael added the chairman role effective July 1, 2025, when Richard A. Gonzalez retired from the board.

25. 2025AbbVie

    FY2025 Revenue Reaches $61.160 Billion

    AbbVie reported FY2025 net revenue of $61.160 billion and net income of $4.226 billion.

26. 2025Coca-Cola

    $47.9B Revenue and 65,900 Employees

    In FY2025, Coca-Cola reported $47.9 billion in revenue and $13.1 billion in net income. Its 2025 Form 10-K listed about 65,900 company employees at year-end, down from about 69,700 in 2024 because of divestiture activity.

27. 2026AbbVie

    Q1 2026 Revenue Reaches $15.002 Billion

    AbbVie reported first-quarter 2026 net revenue of $15.002 billion, up 12.4 percent on a reported basis.

Acquisitions

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