Who Owns ADM?
ADM is the flagship brand of Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE: ADM), a publicly traded American agribusiness headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1902 and named for a 1923 merger, ADM processes oilseeds, corn, and wheat into food ingredients, feed, and biofuels. In fiscal 2025 it reported revenue of $80.3 billion and adjusted net earnings of $1.7 billion, with roughly 40,000 employees.
Parent Company
Founded
1902
Status
Publicly Traded
Headquarters
GlobalOfficial Website
Who Owns ADM?
- Parent Company: Archer-Daniels-Midland Company
- Ownership Type: Brand division
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock Ticker: NYSE: ADM
| Brand | Parent Company | Ownership Type |
|---|---|---|
| ADM | Archer-Daniels-Midland Company | Brand division |
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History of ADM
- Founded: 1902
- Founders: George A. Archer, John W. Daniels
The ADM story begins in 1902, when John W. Daniels founded the Daniels Linseed Company in Minneapolis to crush flaxseed into linseed oil. George A. Archer joined the firm, which became Archer-Daniels Linseed Company. The 1923 acquisition of Midland Linseed Products completed the Archer-Daniels-Midland name, and the company listed its shares publicly in 1924.
Through the mid-twentieth century ADM pivoted from flax to soybeans, building crushing plants across the American Midwest and expanding into grain storage, flour milling, and corn processing. Dwayne Andreas, who led the company from 1970, built it into a global agribusiness and made it a political heavyweight, championing ethanol and high-fructose corn syrup as major business lines.
The company's darkest chapter came in the 1990s, when a federal investigation uncovered price-fixing in lysine and citric acid markets. ADM pleaded guilty in 1996, paid roughly $100 million in fines, and saw senior executives imprisoned, a case later dramatized in the film The Informant.
Under Patricia Woertz and Juan Luciano, ADM bought flavor house WILD Flavors in 2014 for about $3 billion and took a significant stake in Singapore's Wilmar International, building a Nutrition segment around flavors, proteins, and probiotics. Headquarters moved from Decatur, Illinois, to Chicago in 2014.
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Fiscal 2025 was a down year: revenue of $80.3 billion, down 6 percent, and segment operating profit of $3.2 billion, down 23 percent, on weak crush margins and commodity prices. The results included $372 million of impairments on alternative protein investments, partially offset by a non-cash gain related to Wilmar.
About Archer-Daniels-Midland Company
Is ADM a subsidiary of another company?
No. Archer-Daniels-Midland Company is an independent public corporation listed on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker ADM. It has no parent company; ownership is distributed among institutional investors and public shareholders. It does hold a significant equity stake in Singapore-based Wilmar International.
Is ADM publicly traded?
Yes. ADM trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker ADM and is a member of the S&P 500. It has paid dividends for more than 90 consecutive years and reports quarterly results through SEC filings.
When was ADM founded?
The company's roots date to 1902, when John W. Daniels founded the Daniels Linseed Company in Minneapolis to process flaxseed. The Archer-Daniels-Midland name dates to 1923, when Archer-Daniels Linseed acquired Midland Linseed Products. ADM went public in 1924 and moved its headquarters to Chicago in 2014.
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Who founded ADM?
John W. Daniels founded the original linseed crushing business in 1902, and George A. Archer joined shortly afterward, giving the company the Archer-Daniels name. The Midland element came from the 1923 acquisition of Midland Linseed Products. Dwayne Andreas, CEO from 1970, is considered the architect of the modern global company.
What is ADM's market position?
ADM is the largest publicly traded agricultural processor and one of the four dominant global grain merchants, with $80.3 billion in fiscal 2025 revenue. In specialty starches and food ingredients it ranks among the global leaders alongside Cargill, Ingredion, Tate & Lyle, and Roquette, and it is one of the world's largest soybean crushers and corn processors.
What was ADM's SEC settlement about?
In January 2024 ADM paid $40 million to settle SEC charges that it retroactively adjusted intersegment transactions in 2021 and 2022 to inflate the reported results of its Nutrition segment. The company restated affected results, its CFO stepped down, and it settled related shareholder litigation without admitting or denying the SEC's findings.
- Founded: 1902
- Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock: NYSE: ADM
- Revenue: $80.3 billion (FY2025)
- Employees: Approximately 40,000
Where Is ADM Made / Based?
- Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Manufacturing / Operations: United States, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Netherlands, China, India
ADM Categories & Tags
ADM Sustainability & Ethics
ADM publishes annual sustainability reporting covering deforestation-free supply chain commitments, emissions targets, and regenerative agriculture programs with farmer suppliers across North and South America. It participates in the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and runs soy traceability programs in Brazil.
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The company has invested in carbon capture at its Illinois ethanol operations and promotes sustainable palm, soy, and corn sourcing certification. Critics, including environmental NGOs, continue to link its South American soy supply chain to deforestation risk in the Cerrado, and it remains a focal point in debates over biofuel policy and industrial agriculture.
ADM Recalls & Controversies
ADM's highest-profile historical scandal is the 1996 lysine and citric acid price-fixing case, which produced guilty pleas, about $100 million in fines, and prison sentences for senior executives, later dramatized in The Informant.
More recently, in January 2024 ADM paid $40 million to settle SEC charges that it retroactively adjusted intersegment transactions to inflate reported Nutrition segment performance in 2021 and 2022. The company restated results and its CFO resigned; it did not admit or deny the findings. Related shareholder litigation was also settled.
As a major grain trader, ADM faces recurring antitrust attention given the concentrated structure of global agricultural trade, and its processing plants have faced periodic environmental compliance actions over emissions and wastewater, handled through routine regulatory channels.
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ADM Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +Vertically integrated supply chain from farmgate to finished ingredient
- +S&P 500 listing with more than 90 years of consecutive dividends
- +Global processing and logistics scale that smaller rivals cannot match
- +Nutrition segment provides a structural path to higher-margin earnings
- +Deep positions in both commodity and specialty starch markets
Considerations
- -Earnings declined sharply through 2024 and 2025 on weak commodity margins
- -2024 SEC settlement over Nutrition reporting damaged credibility
- -Alternative protein impairments highlight execution risk in the growth strategy
- -Commodity exposure keeps results volatile despite diversification
- -Market concentration in grain trading attracts ongoing antitrust scrutiny
Frequently Asked Questions About ADM
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Sources & Further Reading
Competitors to ADM
These competing brands operate in the same categories and provide similar products or services. Compare key attributes to understand market positioning and competitive landscape.
| Brand | Parent Company | Country | Founded | Market Position | Primary Market | Gender Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cargill | USA | 1865 | Mass market | Global | All Genders | |
| Avebe | Netherlands | 1919 | Mass market | Global | All Genders | |
| Ingredion | USA | 1921 | Premium | Global | All Genders | |
| Roquette | France | 1933 | Mass market | Global | All Genders | |
| Tate Lyle | United Kingdom | 1921 | Mass market | Global | All Genders |
Learn More About Competitors
Food BeverageCargill
Owned by Cargill
Global agribusiness and food ingredients brand of Cargill, Incorporated, supplying starches, sweeteners, cocoa, and animal nutrition products to food manufacturers worldwide.
food-ingredientsagribusinessspecialty-starch
Food BeverageAvebe
Owned by Koninklijke Avebe U.A.
Dutch cooperative potato starch and protein ingredients brand owned by roughly 2,000 member farmers, supplying food, feed, and industrial manufacturers worldwide.
potato-starchspecialty-starchfood-ingredients
Food BeveragePenford
Owned by Ingredion Incorporated
Specialty starch producer providing potato starch derivatives and functional ingredients for food and industrial applications, owned by Ingredion Incorporated.
potato-starchspecialty-starchfood-ingredients
Food BeverageRoquette
Owned by Roquette Frères
French plant-based ingredients brand supplying starches, pea protein, and pharmaceutical excipients to food, health, and industrial manufacturers worldwide.
food-ingredientsplant-proteinspecialty-starch
Food BeverageTate & Lyle
Owned by Tate & Lyle
British specialty food ingredients brand supplying sweeteners, texturants, fibers, and starches to food and beverage manufacturers, listed on the London Stock Exchange.
food-ingredientssweetenerstexturants
Competitive Analysis
Market Positioning: ADM competes with 5 brands in the same categories, ranging from mass market to luxury positioning.
Geographic Distribution: Competitors are headquartered across multiple regions, indicating global competition in this market segment.
Brand Heritage: Competitor brands range from established heritage brands to newer market entrants, with founding years spanning several decades.
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Independent Alternatives to ADM
Looking for brands with different ownership structures? These similar brands are not owned by Archer-Daniels-Midland Company, giving you alternative choices that support different corporate structures.
Food BeverageCargill
Owned by Cargill
Global agribusiness and food ingredients brand of Cargill, Incorporated, supplying starches, sweeteners, cocoa, and animal nutrition products to food manufacturers worldwide.
food-ingredientsagribusinessspecialty-starch
Privately Owned
Cargill is privately owned, unlike ADM which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Food BeverageAvebe
Owned by Koninklijke Avebe U.A.
Dutch cooperative potato starch and protein ingredients brand owned by roughly 2,000 member farmers, supplying food, feed, and industrial manufacturers worldwide.
potato-starchspecialty-starchfood-ingredients
Privately Owned
Avebe is privately owned, unlike ADM which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Food BeverageRoquette
Owned by Roquette Frères
French plant-based ingredients brand supplying starches, pea protein, and pharmaceutical excipients to food, health, and industrial manufacturers worldwide.
food-ingredientsplant-proteinspecialty-starch
Privately Owned
Roquette is privately owned, unlike ADM which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Food BeverageTate & Lyle
Owned by Tate & Lyle
British specialty food ingredients brand supplying sweeteners, texturants, fibers, and starches to food and beverage manufacturers, listed on the London Stock Exchange.
food-ingredientssweetenerstexturants
Publicly Traded
Tate & Lyle operates independently without a large parent corporation.
Food BeverageAG1
Owned by AG1
Daily green powder supplement formerly known as Athletic Greens, sold by subscription by AG1, a private wellness company valued above $1 billion.
supplementsgreens-powderdaily-health
Privately Owned
AG1 is privately owned, unlike ADM which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Food BeverageAu Vodka
Owned by Sazerac Company, Inc.
UK-based premium vodka and ready-to-drink cocktail brand known for gold bottles, founded in 2015 in Swansea, Wales. Acquired by Sazerac in August 2026 for a reported valuation of approximately £500 million.
vodkaspiritsrtd
Privately Owned
Au Vodka is privately owned, unlike ADM which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Archer-Daniels-Midland Company Stock Information
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