Who owns Dairy Queen?
Dairy Queen is owned by Berkshire Hathaway (the United States, NYSE: BRK.B), which has owned the brand since 7 January 1998.[1] Dairy Queen was founded in 1940 in the United States and was independent until 1998.
Key facts
- Current owner
- Berkshire Hathaway Inc. verified
- Owned since
- Previous owner
- Independent (1940–1998)
- Owner HQ
- 🇺🇸 United States, Omaha, Nebraska
- Origin
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Founded
- 1940
- Category
- Restaurants & foodservice › Quick-service restaurants › Ice cream & dessert chains
- Parent ticker
- NYSE: BRK.B
- Last verified
- · 1 sources
About Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen sells soft-serve through franchised restaurants, and traces to 1938, when a father and son in Illinois developed a soft frozen dairy product and tested it at a friend's shop. Berkshire Hathaway acquired the company in 1998, and its Blizzard is served upside down to prove its thickness.
Ownership timeline of Dairy Queen
- 1998 – present Berkshire Hathaway [1] verified
Where Dairy Queen sits in Berkshire Hathaway
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
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Other brands owned by Berkshire Hathaway
Latest news about Dairy Queen
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Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of Dairy Queen?
The parent company of Dairy Queen is Berkshire Hathaway, a holding company headquartered in the United States.
Is Dairy Queen American?
Yes. Dairy Queen originated in the United States in 1940 and its owner, Berkshire Hathaway, is also headquartered in the United States.
Since when has Berkshire Hathaway owned Dairy Queen?
Berkshire Hathaway has owned Dairy Queen since 7 January 1998.
Who owned Dairy Queen before Berkshire Hathaway?
Dairy Queen was an independent company from its founding in 1940 until Berkshire Hathaway acquired it in 1998.
Is Dairy Queen still owned by Berkshire Hathaway?
Yes. As of 6 September 2026, Dairy Queen is still owned by Berkshire Hathaway. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Sources (1) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
- [1] Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Annual Report on Form 10-K filed 2026-03-02 — SEC EDGAR, SEC Form 10-K, published 2 March 2026; retrieved 6 September 2026.
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