You probably think of Krispy Kreme as a local doughnut shop with a "Hot Now" sign that makes you pull a sudden U-turn. Most people do. But the reality of who pulls the strings behind those glazed rings is a lot more complex—and frankly, a lot more corporate—than a guy in a paper hat named Vernon.
So, who is the owner of Krispy Kreme donuts?
If you’re looking for a single person, you won't find one. Gone are the days of the Rudolph family running the show from Winston-Salem. Today, the brand is a massive, publicly traded entity, but it’s essentially controlled by a shadowy, ultra-wealthy German investment firm called JAB Holding Company.
The Powerhouse Behind the Glaze
The story of the owner of Krispy Kreme donuts took a wild turn in 2016. That was the year JAB Holding Company swooped in and bought the brand for a cool $1.35 billion. Before that, the company had a rough go of it as a public entity, plagued by accounting scandals and growing too fast for its own good.
JAB took it private. They cleaned house. They spent five years restructuring the business before taking it public again in 2021 under the ticker symbol DNUT.
Even though you can buy shares on the Nasdaq today, JAB still owns about 43% to 45% of the company. In the world of big business, that’s basically a majority. They make the calls.
Who is JAB Holding Company anyway?
Think of JAB as the "Reimann family office." Based in Luxembourg but rooted in Germany, the Reimanns are one of the richest families on the planet. They don't just like doughnuts; they like breakfast.
Honestly, they’ve been on a shopping spree for years. If you drink coffee or eat a bagel, you’ve probably given them money without knowing it. Their portfolio includes:
- Panera Bread
- Keurig Dr Pepper
- Einstein Bros. Bagels
- Caribou Coffee
- Pret A Manger
- Peet’s Coffee
They're building a morning-routine empire. Krispy Kreme is just one very sugary piece of that puzzle.
The Controversy You Might Not Know
When you dig into the owner of Krispy Kreme donuts, you eventually hit some dark history. In 2019, the Reimann family made headlines for all the wrong reasons. They discovered—and publicly admitted—that their ancestors were staunch supporters of the Nazi regime.
It wasn't just political support. During World War II, the family’s business used forced labor from Russian civilians and French prisoners of war.
It was a massive scandal. The family didn't hide from it, though. They donated millions to Holocaust survivors and renamed their family foundation to honor victims of the Nazis. It's a heavy backdrop for a company that sells "joy by the dozen," but it’s a crucial part of the ownership narrative.
Who Runs the Day-to-Day?
While the Reimanns and JAB provide the cash, they aren't the ones deciding which seasonal doughnut comes out for Halloween.
The current CEO is Josh Charlesworth. He stepped into the role in early 2024, taking over from Mike Tattersfield. Charlesworth is a veteran of the CPG (consumer packaged goods) world, having spent years at Mars (the candy people).
His mission? Efficiency.
The "hub and spoke" model is his baby. Basically, they make the doughnuts at big shops (the hubs) and truck them out to grocery stores and gas stations (the spokes). It’s why you can find a Krispy Kreme box at a random 7-Eleven at 11 PM.
The McDonald’s Deal
One of the biggest moves under the current ownership is the massive partnership with McDonald's. By the end of 2026, the goal is to have Krispy Kreme doughnuts available in every single McDonald's in the U.S.
That is huge. It more than doubles their "points of access."
It’s a massive logistical nightmare, sure, but if they pull it off, the owner of Krispy Kreme donuts will be sitting on a goldmine of scale that most food brands can only dream of.
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Is Krispy Kreme Public or Private?
People get confused about this all the time.
It’s publicly traded. You can go on Robinhood right now and buy $10 worth of "DNUT."
However, because JAB holds such a massive stake, Krispy Kreme is technically a "controlled company." This means the board of directors and the major strategic shifts are heavily influenced by that one single shareholder.
If JAB decided tomorrow they wanted to sell the whole thing to a tech giant or another conglomerate, they have the leverage to make it happen.
What This Ownership Means for You
Does it matter that a German billionaire family owns your doughnut? Probably not for the taste.
But it matters for the brand's future.
Under JAB, Krispy Kreme has pivoted from being just a "doughnut shop" to being an "omni-channel brand." They want to be everywhere. They want you to see that logo in the grocery aisle, the airport, the drive-thru, and your office breakroom.
They are less focused on opening 500 new massive stores and more focused on getting their product into 50,000 existing locations.
Key Takeaways for the Curious:
- JAB Holding Company is the primary power player, owning nearly half the shares.
- The brand is publicly traded on the Nasdaq as DNUT.
- The ownership has a complicated history involving WWII forced labor, which the family has since addressed through massive reparations.
- Josh Charlesworth is the CEO leading the charge into the McDonald's expansion.
If you’re looking to get involved, your next step is pretty simple. You can either go buy a box of Original Glazed and support the "spoke" model, or you can look into the DNUT ticker if you want to own a tiny piece of the empire yourself. Just keep an eye on those quarterly earnings reports; the sugar business is more volatile than you’d think.
Check the latest SEC filings if you want to see exactly how many shares JAB has offloaded or added recently. It's the best way to see where the "smart money" is moving in the world of breakfast treats.