In Depth: How Wahaha Founder’s Daughter Took Control Amid a Family Squabble

Zong Fuli, the only publicly known daughter of late Wahaha founder Zong Qinghou, has captured public attention due to a high-profile family dispute involving a $1.8 billion inheritance and three newly revealed half-siblings. This conflict, currently being litigated in a Hong Kong court, has cast a spotlight on her role as successor to Wahaha, one of China’s leading beverage companies [para. 1]. Since assuming leadership after her father’s death in February 2024, Zong Fuli has initiated substantial corporate reforms, including terminating partnerships with underperforming distributors and regaining control of key digital sales assets, such as the company’s Tmall flagship store previously managed by Du Jianying, the mother of her half-siblings [para. 2]. Since September 2024, the company has further detached itself from small distributors and instituted stricter performance criteria, removing those with declining sales or inadequate service. This shift reflects an emphasis on efficiency and sales accountability under Zong’s leadership [para. 3].

Following Zong Qinghou’s passing, Wahaha experienced a sharp sales upswing. However, the subsequent family drama and public revelations about Zong Qinghou’s personal life dampened consumer sentiment, contributing to a decline in sales growth [para. 4]. Data from Beijing WinWin Network Technology Ltd. shows Wahaha’s bottled water sales grew over 250% year-on-year from March 2024 through early 2025, but growth dropped to 21.2% by July 2025. Dairy products have seen continued sales declines since February 2024, a notable reversal from the previous year’s strong growth [para. 5].

Born in 1982 in Hangzhou, Zong Fuli studied at Pepperdine University in the US before joining Wahaha in 2004, starting as deputy director at a production base and later overseeing underperforming divisions such as children's clothing and personal care [para. 6]. In 2007, she took charge of Hongsheng Beverage Group, which produced about a third of Wahaha’s beverages. Hongsheng initially only handled production, but gained greater operational significance under her management, and Wahaha deployed senior executives to support her efforts [para. 7]. From 2017, as her father's health declined, she became more involved in Wahaha, eventually rising to general manager by 2021 [para. 8]. Du Jianying, her father's partner and mother to the half-siblings, gradually withdrew from Wahaha after Zong Fuli’s increasing involvement, leaving the board in 2019 [para. 9].

After her father’s death, Zong Fuli swiftly moved to consolidate power. She ended commemorative mourning at the company, questioned the value of “family culture,” and began transferring key staff and operations from Wahaha to Hongsheng, sparking internal resistance due to concerns over longstanding employee equity agreements [para. 10][para. 11][para. 14]. She formally inherited her father’s 29.4% stake, became legal representative, and assumed the chairwoman role in August 2024, appointing Hongsheng loyalists to Wahaha’s board [para. 13][para. 15]. In the months following, key functions and staff moved to Hongsheng, and the original Wahaha headquarters was leased out. Several subsidiaries, linked to Du Jianying, ceased operations [para. 18]. Zong Fuli has been criticized internally for her management style and for eliminating her father’s dividend-sharing system, reducing employee income [para. 20][para. 21].

Publicly, Zong Fuli made headlines with a resignation letter leaked in July 2024, which she attributed to doubts about her leadership from state shareholders and the risk of asset embezzlement. She quickly resumed her roles after government intervention [para. 24][para. 28]. The inheritance dispute intensified when three claimants, identified as her half-siblings and US citizens, successfully froze a $1.8 billion account in a Hong Kong court, alleging promises of inheritance from Zong Qinghou [para. 30][para. 32]. The scandal has tarnished the founder’s reputation and garnered sympathy for Zong Fuli, as the children’s birth circumstances suggested extramarital involvement [para. 36][para. 37].