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Paul Balsom

@PaulBalsom

Feb 19 • 11 tweets • 4 min read • Read on X

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Nestlé doesn’t just sell chocolate or coffee.

They control something far more valuable: Water.

And they’ve built $2.8 BILLION empire out of it.

This is the dark story behind bottled water🧵:

Water is life.

It’s the most essential resource on Earth.
And yet, one company has fought for decades to privatize it: Nestlé.

For years, they’ve extracted millions of gallons from public water sources.

While communities run dry, Nestlé profits.

The controversy exploded when Nestlé's former CEO, Peter Brabeck, said this:

"Water is not a human right. It should be privatized."

In one sentence, he exposed the company’s mindset:

Water is a business, a very profitable one.

Nestlé controls dozens of bottled water brands:
- Pure Life
- Poland Spring
- San Pellegrino
- Perrier
- Arrowhead

They extract free or cheap water from natural sources, bottle it, and sell it for 5000x the cost.

The Fight for Water Rights

Nestlé has been accused of:
- Draining aquifers in drought-prone areas
- Polluting natural springs
- Over-extracting water without proper regulation
- Exploiting weak legal systems in developing nations

Yet, their profits keep rising.

Nestle has been in legal battles across the world:

USA: Extracted water while residents faced a water crisis.
Ethiopia: Profiting from one of the driest regions on Earth.
Canada: Paid $2/M liters while locals faced shortages.

The pattern: Nestlé takes. Communities suffer.

Most people think bottled water is safer.

Here’s the dark truth:
- Microplastics contaminate 93% of bottled water.
- It takes 3L of water to produce 1L of bottled water.
- 64% of bottled water is tap water with a fancy label.

They don’t just sell water. They own it.

Communities worldwide are fighting back:

Michigan activists pushed Nestlé out after decades.
France banned Nestlé from bottling water in several regions.
Indigenous groups in Canada blocked their water extraction projects.

People are waking up. But the fight isn’t over.

Nestle has since restructured its water business:

In 2021, Nestlé sold its North American water brands to One Rock Capital Partners and Metropoulos & Co. for $4.3billion.

As of Jan 1, 2025, Nestlé announced it will spin off its remaining water brands into a standalone business.

The UN has declared water a human right.

Yet, corporations like Nestlé continue to commodify it.
Water scarcity is increasing.

Communities are struggling.

And the fight for who owns water is only getting bigger.

RT if you believe water is a human right.

Thanks for reading!

Follow me @PaulBalsom for more.

A bit about me: Me and my company, Balsom & Co., empower water and environmental businesses to thrive by providing expert-led, customized marketing strategy and leadership.

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More from @PaulBalsom

Paul Balsom

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But it’s larger than France, Germany, and Spain combined.

And it’s leaking toxic chemicals into the fish you eat.

Here’s what you were never told about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch:

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch isn’t an island of trash.

It’s a massive accumulation of plastic and debris trapped by ocean currents in the North Pacific Gyre.

Estimated size:
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Plastic that is decades old.

How did this happen?

It starts on land.

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He used his name, not the game, to build a billion-dollar empire.

Here’s how he did it: 🧵

Magic retired in 1991 after announcing he had HIV.

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Instead, it was the beginning.

In 1987, he quietly started Magic Johnson Enterprises.

By 1994, he was on his way to building one of the most community-focused business empires in America.

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But what if I told you the real crisis isn't drought.

It's decades of corruption, corporate theft, and a shocking loophole that lets billionaires hoard water while entire towns go dry.

The story no one talks about: 🧵

California produces:

• 80% of the world’s almonds
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But the land that feeds millions is also… drying up.

And it’s not just climate change.

The real culprit?

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80% of California’s water goes to farms.

But the most water-hungry crops, like almonds, alfalfa, and pistachios—are exported overseas.

California is literally exporting its water.

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That moment broke him.

He asked a question no one had seriously asked before:

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Everyone laughed.

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Before Frank Green, reusable bottles weren’t exciting.

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