I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! is owned by KKR (the United States, NYSE: KKR) through its subsidiary Upfield, which acquired the brand on 2 July 2018 from Unilever.[1][1] Before KKR, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! was owned by Unilever from 1986 to 2018.[1]
This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! was launched in 1979 with a name that stated the entire proposition, and the deliberately unwieldy phrasing became the point of the advertising. It is one of the largest spread brands in the United States.
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
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Unilever sold its spreads business to KKR, which established it as a standalone company named Upfield. Unilever had been trying to exit margarine for years as consumption declined, and the sale followed its rejection of a takeover approach from Kraft Heinz that had prompted a strategic review.
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The parent company of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! is KKR, a private-equity firm headquartered in the United States. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! sits under KKR's subsidiary Upfield.
Yes. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! originated in the United States in 1979 and its owner, KKR, is also headquartered in the United States.
KKR completed its acquisition of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! on 2 July 2018, after announcing the deal on 15 December 2017.
Before KKR, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! was owned by Unilever from 1986 until 2018.
Yes. As of 6 September 2026, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! is still owned by KKR. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
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