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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C.  20549


                                    FORM 8-K


                                 CURRENT REPORT

                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                      The Securities Exchange Act of 1934



        Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 16, 2001



                          PHILIP MORRIS COMPANIES INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


          Virginia                       1-8940                13-3260245
(State or other jurisdiction          (Commission           (I.R.S. Employer
       of incorporation)              File Number)          Identification No.)


  120 Park Avenue, New York, New York                           10017-5592
(Address of principal executive offices)                        (Zip Code)



   Registrant's telephone number, including area code:         (917) 663-5000


         (Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)


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Item 7.  Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits.

(c)      Exhibits.

99.1     Kraft Foods Inc. Registration Statement on Form S-1



Item 9.  Regulation FD Disclosure.


     The information in this Current Report is being furnished pursuant to Item
9 and shall not be deemed "filed" for the purposes of Section 18 of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the
liabilities of that Section.  The information in this Current Report shall not
be incorporated by reference into any registration statement pursuant to the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended.  The furnishing of the information in this
Current Report is not intended to, and does not, constitute a representation
that such furnishing is required by Regulation FD or that the information this
Current Report contains is material investor information that is not otherwise
publicly available.

     On March 16, 2001, Kraft Foods Inc., a wholly-owned food and beverage
subsidiary of Philip Morris Companies Inc., filed a Registration Statement on
Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the
initial public offering of Kraft Foods Inc. Class A common stock.  A copy of the
Form S-1 is attached as Exhibit 99.1.

     A registration statement relating to the Kraft Foods Inc. Class A common
stock has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission but has not yet
become effective.  These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be
accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective.  This
Current Report shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an
offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in
which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration
or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.

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                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                    PHILIP MORRIS COMPANIES INC.



                                    By:   /s/ G. PENN HOLSENBECK
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                                      Name:  G. Penn Holsenbeck
                                      Title: Vice President, Associate General
                                             Counsel and Corporate Secretary

DATE: March 16, 2001

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                               INDEX TO EXHIBITS


Exhibit No.         Description
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99.1                Kraft Foods Inc. Registration Statement on Form S-1

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