Lindt & Sprüngli: brands it owns and its ownership tree
Lindt & Sprüngli (SIX: LISN) is a publicly listed company headquartered in Kilchberg, Switzerland that owns 6 consumer brands, and has 2 recorded transactions.[1]
Lindt & Sprüngli traces to a Zurich confectionery shop opened in 1845 and to Rodolphe Lindt, who invented conching in 1879, the prolonged stirring process that gives chocolate its smooth texture. It is the largest premium chocolate company in the world and owns Ghirardelli and Russell Stover in the United States.
Lindt & Sprungli bought Russell Stover Candies as an asset deal for CHF 1,499.6 million in cash, of which CHF 716.1 million was goodwill. The company calls it the biggest and most important strategic acquisition in its history: it brought Whitman's and Pangburn's with it and made the Swiss chocolatier the third largest chocolate manufacturer in North America.
Lindt & Sprungli acquired the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company of San Francisco in January 1998, its entry into North America and, by the company's own account, the beginning of its expansion into the largest chocolate market in the world. Ghirardelli had been making chocolate since 1852, which makes it older than the Swiss company that now owns it. Only the month is documented here.
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Frequently asked questions
What brands does Lindt & Sprüngli own?
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Lindt & Sprüngli owns 6 consumer brands tracked here, including Lindt, Caffarel, Russell Stover, Whitman's, Ghirardelli and Lindor.
Is Lindt & Sprüngli a Swiss company?
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Yes. Lindt & Sprüngli is headquartered in Kilchberg, Switzerland and was founded in 1845.
Who owns Lindt & Sprüngli?
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Lindt & Sprüngli is a publicly listed company owned by its shareholders; it trades as LISN on the SIX.
What was Lindt & Sprüngli's most recent acquisition?
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The most recent completed acquisition recorded here is Russell Stover and Whitman's on 8 September 2014.
Sources (3) & 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]Lindt & Sprüngli Annual Report 2025 — Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG, Annual report, published 3 March 2026; retrieved 16 September 2026.