[17] Red Bull was derived from a similar drink called Krating Daeng which originated in Thailand and was introduced by the pharmacist Chaleo Yoovidhya.

While doing business in Thailand, Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz purchased a can of Krating Daeng and claimed it cured his jet lag.

Mateschitz sought to create a partnership with Yoovidhya and formulated a product that would suit the tastes of Westerners, such as by carbonating the drink.

In 1976, Chaleo Yoovidhya introduced a drink called Krating Daeng in Thailand,[20] which means "red gaur" in English.

While working for German manufacturer Blendax (later acquired by Procter & Gamble) in 1982, Dietrich Mateschitz travelled to Thailand and met Chaleo, owner of T.C.

[24] Pricing was a key differentiator, with Red Bull positioned as a premium drink[25][26] and Krating Daeng as a lower cost item.

[28] In 2008, Forbes magazine listed both Chaleo and Mateschitz as the 250th richest people in the world with an estimated net worth of US$4 billion.

[32] Depending on the country, Red Bull contains different amounts of caffeine, taurine, B vitamins (B2, B3, B5, B6, and B12), glucuronolactone[36] and simple sugars (sucrose and glucose) in a buffer solution of carbonated water, sodium bicarbonate and magnesium carbonate (substituted in some flavours with a trisodium citrate/citric acid buffer, each solution providing electrolytes).

[37][38] To produce Red Bull Sugarfree, sucrose and glucose have been replaced by artificial sweeteners acesulfame K and aspartame or sucralose.

[47] In 2018, the company released Red Bull Zero, a different sugar-free formulation designed to taste more like the original flavour.

[62] Named as plaintiffs were Benjamin Careathers, David Wolf, and Miguel Almarez,[63] who had sued the company claiming breach of express warranty and unjust enrichment, saying that Red Bull falsely asserted performance-enhancing benefits from the drink's ingredients that were unsubstantiated by scientific studies.

[64] On 1 May 2015, the Court approved the settlement, giving customers who had submitted claims the opportunity to receive a US$10 cash reimbursement or US$15 in Red Bull products[65] within 150 days of affirmance on any appeal.