Bumble Bee Foods

Bumble Bee's November 2019 bankruptcy collapsed the second-largest canned tuna producer in America. The company pleaded guilty to price-fixing in 2017, paying $25 million in fines while its CEO went to prison. The antitrust settlement, combined with declining tuna consumption and private label competition, made debt service impossible. Thai Union acquired Bumble Bee's assets for $928 million, consolidating the global tuna industry further. The case demonstrated how criminal conduct can trigger bankruptcy through reputation damage and legal costs.