Kimberly-Clark acquires Listerine manufacturer Kenvue in 50-billion-dollar deal

The American multinational Kimberly-Clark, known for brands such as Kleenex and Huggies, is paying nearly fifty billion dollars for the acquisition of Kenvue, a spin-off of Johnson & Johnson‘s former consumer brands.

One of the largest acquisitions of the year

Two years ago, pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson spun off its consumer brands (including Daktarin, Johnson’s, Listerine, Neutrogena, Nicorette, OB and Tylenol) into a separate company called Kenvue, which went public. Now Kimberly-Clark is acquiring that company for 48.7 billion dollars (42 billion euros). It is one of the biggest acquisition deals of the year. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026, but shareholders and authorities still have to approve the deal.