Money | mergers and acquisitions Tyson Wins Hillshire Farms Sweepstakes—for $7.7B Almost $1B more than rival Pilgrim's Pride offered By Kevin Spak Posted Jun 9, 2014 11:38 AM CDT Copied This file photo combo shows a package of frozen Tyson Chicken Nuggets, left, and a package of Hillshire Farm sausage, in Palo Alto, Calif. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File) Tyson Foods has won the bidding war to buy Hillshire Brands, topping an offer from rival Pilgrim's Pride by almost a billion dollars, the Wall Street Journal reports. Tyson will pay $63 a share in cash for Hillshire, which makes Jimmy Dean sausages and Ball Park franks, among other food products. The deal values the company at $7.7 billion. Pilgrim's Pride had offered $55 a share. Tyson's CEO explained the big offer by saying that companies like Hillshire "don't become available too often." Read These Next Obituary reveals teacher's same-sex marriage, and he's fired. Firefighters 'didn't have a chance' in Idaho ambush. Teen Motocross star repeatedly 'run over' at event. After Girl Goes Overboard on Cruise, 'Hero' Dad to the Rescue. Report an error