Wahaha Photo: VCG

Chinese beverage giant Wahaha's chairwoman Zong Fuli is reportedly being sued in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region over an inheritance dispute. The company responded with a brief statement, saying the matter is a private family issue unrelated to its operations or business, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported on Monday.

The name "Wahaha" and related topics such as "Wahaha Zong Qinghou" appeared among the top trending searches on Chinese X-like social media platform Sina Weibo since Sunday, following a Bloomberg report on Friday that three lawyer-identified "half brothers and sister" of Zong Fuli, also known as Kelly Zong, are seeking an injunction to prevent her from handling assets held in a bank account.

Zong Fuli, daughter of Wahaha founder Zong Qinghou and his wife Shi Youzhen, has long been regarded as the sole heir to the company. She was officially appointed chairwoman after her father's death in February 2024, according to the Southern Metropolis Daily.

In response to media inquiries, Wahaha reiterated in a brief statement: "This is a family matter unrelated to the company's operations or business. The company will not be offering any official comment or response."

The late Zong, once the richest man in China, founded Wahaha in 1987. The company started with a popular milky nutritional drink and eventually expanded into a nationwide beverage empire, offering bottled water, tea and fruit juices.

Global Times