Philip Morris International (PMI), the big tobacco giant, owns ZYN nicotine pouches. ZYN nicotine pouches are a subsidiary of Swedish Match AB, and the company was bought by Philip Morris Holland in November 2022.
Under the umbrella of Philip Morris, ZYN expanded to new markets and revamped its production. Today, ZYN is the most in-demand and popular nicotine pouch brand in the US. You've probably been using ZYN for a while, but chances are you still don't know the people behind ZYNs.
Owners of ZYN Nicotine Pouches
The real owners of ZYN nicotine pouches are Philip Morris International, but most of the decisions about products still remain with Swedish Match. It's why ZYN has maintained its quality despite changing overseers in 2022.
The current people in charge of ZYN are:
| CEO of Swedish Match | Lars Dahlgren |
| Head of Marketing Swedish Match | Filip Wahlström |
| Vice President Communications and Public Affairs | Patrik Hildingsson |
| Director Communications and Media Relations | Johan Wredberg |
| Manager Communications Sweden | Robert Noord |
| Senior Vice President Scientific Affairs | Tryggve Ljung |
| Vice President Legal & General Counsel, US Division | Gerry Roerty |
| Manager External Affairs Norway | Nils Erlimo |
| Manager External Affairs Denmark | Rune Siglev |
While ZYN retains its sense of individulality, the brand is subservient to the orders of Philip Morris. In the end, the ultimate decisions regarding the brand are within the power of Jacek Olczak, CEO of Philip Morris.
When was ZYN Launched?
ZYN was launched in 2014 by Swedish Match AB. The brand was one of the first nicotine pouch brands in the US and Sweden, following Niconovium. While the idea wasn't completely new, ZYN breathed fresh life into the concept.
Swedish Match fine-tuned the products, removing the problems of previous prototypes. These pouches were much drier, cleaner, and more enjoyable. The flavors were mostly mint combos that guaranteed a fresh and riveting flavor.
Why Did Philip Morris International Buy ZYN?
Philip Morris bought ZYN because they identified the changing sentiment about ZYN nicotine pouches in the US. Their competitors were the new tobacco-free products like vapes and pouches from BAT. Swedish Match had already proven its worth in the US market.
Philip Morris has been one of the biggest tobacco companies since the the mid 1800s. The company is responsible for products like Marlboro. And even today more than 60% of PMI's revenue comes from their cigarettes.
Philip Morris understood their undue reliance on cigarettes and switched to promoting alternative products like nicotine pouches. Since Swedish Match was one of the biggest producers in the market at the time, they bought it to compete for a slice of the pie.
How Much Did Philip Morris Buy ZYN For?
In 2022, Philip Morris bough Swedish Match and ZYN for $16 Billion. It was one of the biggest purchases of the industry at the time. After the initial buy-out, PMI invested in the company's facilities and production because demand was mounting.
The brand was expanded to Asia in 2023. In July of 2024, PMI announched a new production facility for ZYN in Colorado, which would cost $600 Million. However, the project saw an abrupt stop when ZYN faced a subpoena for the sale of flavored products in banned districts.
How Popular is ZYN?
ZYN is one of the biggest tobacco and smoke-free nicotine product in the US. According to the Q2 2024 Report of PMI, ZYN was responsible for about 38.1% of the smokeless product revenue. According to the same report, ZYN pouch shipments to the US increased by 63.5%.
According to the Q1 Report, more 131 million cans of ZYN were shipped across the US. The Q2 report puts that figure close to 380 million thanks to increased hyped around ZYN during May, June, and July.
ZYN is inarguably very popular in the US, especially compared to the alternatives. However, the recent talks of a ban on ZYN sales might cause it's popularity to slump. Newer brands like Iceberg, Dope, and VELO are already competing with ZYN.
Recent Regulatory Troubles of ZYN
ZYN is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and was already under scrutiny for its popularity among teens. With ever-growing concern about their impacts, the last straw was a lawsuit filed against ZYN for violating sale laws in certain US districts.
According to the law, the sale of flavored nicotine or tobacco products is prohibited in certain US districts. ZYN retailers and the brand itself was found violating this law, which urged senators to take action.
While debates about the use of nicotine and a ban on ZYN raged, PMI stopped the sale of ZYN products across the US on their website. Verified wholesalers will still stock the products, however, it did create a short ZYN shortage in the US.
Conclusion: PMI and Swedish Match Own ZYN
Philip Morris International is the owner of both Swedish Match and its subsidiary ZYN. Philip Morris International announced the acquisition of Swedish Match in late November of 2022, for $16 billion. The ZYN brand automatically came under the umbrella of PMI.
ZYN is one of the leading tobacco-free nicotine pouch brands in the US. The products have experienced a surging growth since 2022, dampened only by minor regulatory troubles in 2024. According to most analysts and a spokesperson for PMI, these are minor hurdles for the growing giant.
