© Getty Images/Shutterstock

Trader Joe's -

Trader Joe's was founded by Joe Columbus in Pasadena, California in 1967. In 1979, it was bought by German entrepreneur Theo Albrecht, best known as the founder of the supermarket chain Aldi. 

© Shutterstock

Firestone -

Originally founded by Harvey Firestone in 1900 in Akron, Ohio, Firestone was bought by the Japanese Bridgestone Corporation in 1988.

© Shutterstock

Ben & Jerry's -

The brand was founded by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in Burlington, Vermont, in 1978. The ice cream brand was sold to the British multinational Unilever in 2000.

© Shutterstock

IBM -

While part of IBM is still American, the IBM PC Division was sold to Chinese company Lenovo in 2005.

© Shutterstock

Ralph Lauren -

The fashion company founded in 1967 by American fashion designer Ralph Lauren is mostly still US-based. However, the subdivision Ralph Lauren Fragrance is owned by the L'Oréal Group from France. 

© Shutterstock

Krispy Kreme -

The iconic donut company was founded in 1937 by Vernon Rudolph in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. While it's now a public company, the German JAB Holding Company (that previously bought Krispy Kreme in 2016), still owns nearly half of the company's shares.

© Shutterstock

Purina -

The roots of the pet food brand can be traced to St. Louis, Missouri, in the early 20th century. The brand is currently owned by Swiss brand Nestlé.

© Shutterstock

Motorola -

The American telecoms company was founded in 1928. In 2011, the brand was split into two divisions, and then in 2014, Motorola Mobility was sold to China's Lenovo.

© Shutterstock

Sunglass Hut -

The company was founded in 1971 in Miami, Florida. In 2001, the Italian Luxottica Group acquired the brand.

© Shutterstock

Smithfield -

Originally founded in 1936 in Smithfield, Virginia, the food company has been a subsidiary of the Chinese conglomerate WH Group since 2013.

© Shutterstock

Holiday Inn -

The American hotel chain was founded in 1952. Holiday Inn has been a division of the British IHG Hotels & Resorts group since 2003.

© Shutterstock

Budweiser -

Founded in St. Louis in 1876, Budweiser is one of America's most famous beer brands. In 2008, American brewing company Anheuser-Busch (which produced Budweiser) merged with Belgian brewing company InBev. 

© Shutterstock

7-Eleven -

The convenience store chain 7-Eleven was founded in Texas in 1927. In 2005 it was bought by the Japanese company Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd.

© Shutterstock

Tiffany & Co. -

The quintessential American jewelry store first opened its doors in New York City in 1837. In 2021, Tiffany & Co. was acquired by French luxury group Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH).

© Shutterstock

Stouffer's -

The brand owned by the American Stouffer family goes all the way back to the 1920s, but in 1973 it was purchased by the Swiss giant Nestlé. 

© Shutterstock

Vaseline -

Vaseline Petroleum Jelly was created by Robert Augustus Chesebrough in 1870 in Brooklyn, New York. In 1987, the brand was acquired by the British company Unilever. 

© Shutterstock

Panera Bread -

Panera Bread was founded by Ronald M. Shaich and Louis Kane in 1987 in St. Louis, Missouri. The company was bought by German conglomerate JAB Holding Company in 2017.

© Shutterstock

Marc Jacobs -

The American designer Marc Jacobs sold his namesake brand to the French luxury goods company Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) in 1997.

© Shutterstock

Citgo -

Citgo Petroleum Corporation was founded by oilman Henry Latham Doherty in 1910. Then, in 1990, it was sold to Venezuela's state-owned oil and gas corporation Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA).

© Shutterstock

Popsicle -

Popsicles were invented at the turn of the century by the young American inventor Frank Epperson. In 1993, the brand was bought by Good Humor-Breyers, which is part of the British company Unilever.

© Shutterstock

Hoover -

The famous vacuum cleaner company was founded in Ohio in 1915. In 2007, it was sold to Hong Kong China–based multinational manufacturing company Techtronic Industries.

© Shutterstock

Dirt Devil -

American manufacturer of vacuum cleaners founded in 1905 was purchased by the Chinese company Techtronic Industries in 2002.

© Shutterstock

American Apparel -

The American clothing retailer was founded in 1989 and first opened stores in LA, California.  In 2017 it was bought by Canadian sportswear manufacturer Gildan Activewear. 

© Shutterstock

GE Appliances -

GE Appliances was founded in 1905 in Schenectady, New York, but has been owned by the Chinese company Haier since 2016.

© Shutterstock

Gerber -

Gerber was founded by Daniel Frank Gerber in 1927 in Fremont, Michigan. The baby foods company was then bought by Swiss multinational Nestlé in 2007.

© Shutterstock

CeraVe -

The skincare brand was founded by American dermatologists in 2005, but it was bought by the French company L'Oréal in 2017.

© Shutterstock

Legendary Entertainment -

The American media and film production company that collaborates with Hollywood's biggest studios and streaming companies like Netflix was founded in 2000 in Burbank, California. In 2016 it was sold to Chinese conglomerate Wanda Group.

© Shutterstock

Good Humor -

This ice cream brand dates back to the 1920s in Youngstown, Ohio. In 1993, Unilever in the UK acquired the brand.

Sources: (Business Insider) (Trend Chaser) (Critical Financial) 

See also: American products that have different names abroad

© Shutterstock