Brown & Williamson is the third largest tobacco company in the U.S. They recently purchased American Brands, producers of the top two selling cigarette brands in the UK, thus increasing their market share in the U.S. by 6.7%. The parent company of B&W is BAT Industries previously known as the British American Tobacco Company. BAT is the second largest private cigarette manufacturer in the world.

Sylvester Stallone is one of the tobacco industry's most valued sales personalities. In a letter from him on April 28, 1983 he confirmed his intention to promote Brown & Williamson products for a fee of a half a million dollars. On June 14, 1983 Brown & Williamson's responded confirming the agreement and expressing pride in having Sylvester Stallone promote their nicotine products.

• Transcript of "60 Minutes" segment about B&W cover-up of facts regarding smoking, that made headlines when CBS initially refused to air it claiming that they "might get sued".
• Brown & Williamson Collection
  • B&W Collection: History and Description
• The Trial of the B&W documents from Frontline.

Tobacco industry critics on-line