How Johnson & Johnson Built Its Portfolio Over 100 Years

138 Years of Healthcare Empire Building

Johnson & Johnson is one of the most storied companies in American business history. Founded in 1886 by three brothers in New Brunswick, New Jersey, J&J grew from a surgical supply company into a $400+ billion healthcare conglomerate spanning consumer health, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices.

But the J&J of 2026 looks dramatically different from the J&J of just three years ago. In 2023, J&J spun off its entire consumer health division as Kenvue (NYSE: KVUE), separating brands like Tylenol, Neutrogena, Listerine, and Band-Aid from the pharmaceutical and medical device business. And in November 2025, Kimberly-Clark announced it would acquire Kenvue for $48.7 billion, meaning these iconic J&J brands will soon belong to the company behind Kleenex and Huggies.

This is the story of how J&J built its portfolio over more than a century, why it split apart, and what comes next.

The Building Blocks: 1886-1960

1886: Robert Wood Johnson, James Wood Johnson, and Edward Mead Johnson founded Johnson & Johnson in New Brunswick, New Jersey, to produce sterile surgical dressings.

1887-1890s: Introduced Johnson's Baby Powder (1893) and First Aid Kits. The company established itself as a trusted name in healthcare.

1920s-1930s: Launched Band-Aid brand adhesive bandages (1920) and Johnson's Baby Shampoo. These consumer products became household staples and generated steady cash flow.

1944: J&J went public on the New York Stock Exchange.

1959: Acquired McNeil Laboratories, which would later develop Tylenol (acetaminophen). This acquisition would prove transformative.

The Expansion Era: 1960-2000

J&J adopted a decentralized operating model, allowing acquired companies to operate with significant autonomy. This "family of companies" approach became J&J's defining management philosophy.

Key acquisitions during this period:

The 2006 acquisition of Pfizer Consumer Healthcare for $16.6 billion was transformative. It brought Listerine mouthwash, Zyrtec allergy medication, Sudafed, and Benadryl into J&J's consumer health portfolio, making it the dominant consumer healthcare company globally.

• Consumer Health: Tylenol, Listerine, Neutrogena, Band-Aid, Aveeno, Zyrtec, Johnson's Baby
• Pharmaceuticals: Janssen (Remicade, Stelara, Darzalex, Tremfya)
• Medical Devices: DePuy Synthes (orthopedics), Ethicon (surgical), Vision Care

The Three-Segment Empire

At its peak, J&J's portfolio spanned an extraordinary range:

• Tylenol (pain relief)
• Listerine (mouthwash)
• Neutrogena (skincare)
• Band-Aid (first aid)
• Aveeno (skincare)
• Zyrtec (allergy)
• Johnson's Baby (baby care)
• Motrin (pain relief)
• Benadryl (allergy)
• Sudafed (cold/sinus)
• Rogaine (hair regrowth)
• Nicorette (smoking cessation)

• Stelara (psoriasis, $10+ billion peak annual sales)
• Darzalex (multiple myeloma)
• Tremfya (psoriasis)
• Erleada (prostate cancer)

• DePuy Synthes joint replacements
• Ethicon surgical instruments
• Vision Care (contact lenses)

The 2023 Split: Birth of Kenvue

In November 2021, J&J announced it would separate its consumer health business into a standalone company. The rationale was familiar: the consumer business had different growth dynamics, margins, and capital needs than the pharmaceutical and medical device businesses.

May 2023: The consumer health business IPO'd as Kenvue Inc. (NYSE: KVUE), the largest consumer health IPO in history. J&J initially retained approximately 90% ownership.

August 2023: J&J completed a split-off exchange offer, distributing its remaining Kenvue shares to J&J shareholders who tendered their J&J stock.

• All consumer health brands (Tylenol, Listerine, Neutrogena, Band-Aid, Aveeno, Zyrtec, Johnson's Baby, etc.)
• Approximately $15 billion in annual revenue
• ~22,000 employees
• Operations in 50+ countries

• Janssen Pharmaceuticals (renamed Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine)
• Medical Devices (renamed Johnson & Johnson MedTech)
• Approximately $55 billion in annual revenue
• The J&J name, logo, and corporate identity

The Kimberly-Clark Surprise

In November 2025, Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB), the company behind Kleenex, Huggies, Scott, and Kotex, announced it would acquire Kenvue for $48.7 billion in a cash-and-stock transaction. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2026.

The combined company will create a consumer health and hygiene powerhouse with 10 billion-dollar brands. Former J&J consumer brands will sit alongside Kimberly-Clark's portfolio:

Kenvue brands (from J&J): Tylenol, Listerine, Neutrogena, Band-Aid, Aveeno, Zyrtec Kimberly-Clark brands: Kleenex, Huggies, Scott, Kotex, Depend, Pull-Ups

This means brands that consumers have associated with "Johnson & Johnson" for decades will soon be owned by the company best known for tissues and diapers. The deal represents one of the largest consumer goods acquisitions in years and further concentrates the consumer health market.

What This Means for Consumers

Short-term: Nothing changes. Products remain the same. Formulations, packaging, and availability are unaffected by corporate ownership changes.

Medium-term: Kimberly-Clark may adjust pricing, distribution, or marketing strategies for former J&J brands. Cost synergies from the merger could lead to some operational changes.

Long-term: The combination of Kenvue's healthcare expertise with Kimberly-Clark's consumer goods scale could produce innovation in areas like skin health, wound care, and personal hygiene. Alternatively, cost-cutting pressures could reduce investment in some brands.

The J&J Legacy

• Market cap: ~$380 billion (early 2026)
• Revenue: ~$55 billion (pharmaceutical + medical devices)
• Major drugs: Darzalex, Tremfya, Erleada, Carvykti
• Medical devices: DePuy Synthes, Ethicon, Vision Care

J&J's pharmaceutical pipeline, particularly in oncology and immunology, drives the company's growth. The consumer health spin-off allowed J&J to focus entirely on higher-margin, higher-growth healthcare products.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Johnson & Johnson still own Tylenol?

No. Tylenol is now owned by Kenvue (NYSE: KVUE), which was spun off from J&J in 2023. Kenvue is being acquired by Kimberly-Clark in a deal expected to close in the second half of 2026.

What is Kenvue?

Kenvue is the consumer health company spun off from Johnson & Johnson in 2023. It owns Tylenol, Listerine, Neutrogena, Band-Aid, Aveeno, Zyrtec, and other former J&J consumer brands. Kimberly-Clark announced its acquisition of Kenvue for $48.7 billion in November 2025.

Why did J&J spin off its consumer brands?

J&J separated its consumer health business to allow each entity to pursue focused strategies. The consumer business has different growth profiles, margins, and investment needs compared to pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

Will Tylenol packaging still say Johnson & Johnson?

During a transition period, some packaging may retain J&J branding. Over time, references to Johnson & Johnson are expected to be replaced with Kenvue or Kimberly-Clark branding.

The Bottom Line

Johnson & Johnson's 138-year journey from surgical supplies to a $400 billion healthcare conglomerate is one of the great corporate growth stories. But the 2023 Kenvue spin-off and the 2025 Kimberly-Clark acquisition represent a fundamental reshaping of that legacy. Brands like Tylenol and Band-Aid, synonymous with J&J for generations, are about to have a new corporate home. Understanding these ownership shifts helps consumers track where their money goes and who is ultimately responsible for the products they trust.

Explore healthcare brand ownership on WhoBrands or browse healthcare brands.

Explore Related Brands

• Tylenol - Pain relief icon, J&J to Kenvue to Kimberly-Clark
• Listerine - Mouthwash leader, same ownership journey
• Neutrogena - Premium skincare, now Kenvue
• Band-Aid - First aid staple since 1920
• Aveeno - Oat-based skincare, now Kenvue
• Zyrtec - Allergy relief, acquired from Pfizer in 2006

Browse all healthcare brands

Sources

1. Johnson & Johnson. "Kenvue Separation." Press releases, 2021-2023. 2. Kimberly-Clark. "Kenvue Acquisition Announcement." November 2025. 3. NJBIZ. "Kimberly-Clark to Acquire Kenvue in $48.7B Deal." November 2025. 4. Seeking Alpha. "Kenvue + J&J: Own the Whole Humpty Dumpty." March 2025. 5. Johnson & Johnson. Annual Reports 2020-2024.

All brand ownership data verified through WhoBrands.com's research methodology. Last updated: January 24, 2026.