British American Tobacco US, mostly known for its acronym BATUS, was the US subsidiary of multinational company British American Tobacco (BAT), the world's second largest cigarette manufacturer. BATUS served as the U.S. holding company for BAT. In the 1960s, the company diversified into areas such as insurance, drink and the apparently booming world of retail. In 2004, BATUS merged with the other BAT's U.S. business, Brown & Williamson and R.J. Reynolds, to form Reynolds American.