https://www.scmp.com/rss/522696/feed The latest news and top stories on Kelly Zong Fuli. Known as the "Princess of Wahaha", she is the Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of Hangzhou Wahaha Group, a prominent Chinese beverage company. She assumed leadership in 2024, having previously served as Vice Chair and General Manager for two decades. Her responsibilities include revitalising sales and attracting younger consumers with new product offerings. She also previously helmed Hongsheng Group. Currently, she is embroiled in a... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Cao Li Cao Li Kelly Zong Fuli, daughter of the late Chinese soft drinks billionaire Zong Qinghou, has stepped down as legal representative, chairwoman and general manager of Wahaha Group, a year after taking over. Zong was succeeded by Xu Simin, formerly the head of the legal department at an associated company, according to the latest corporate filings on the mainland. She retains her 29 per cent stake in the group. The 43-year-old took over the beverage empire – known as China’s Coca-Cola – after her father... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3334391/kelly-zong-steps-down-wahaha-chief-amid-bitter-inheritance-feud?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3334391/kelly-zong-steps-down-wahaha-chief-amid-bitter-inheritance-feud?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 12:30:39 +0000 Cao Li,Enoch Yiu,Daniel Ren Cao Li,Enoch Yiu,Daniel Ren In the last few weeks of his life, Chinese soft drinks billionaire Zong Qinghou scrambled to sign wills and set up trusts to ensure his wealth would be distributed among his family according to his wishes. But Zong had a “secret” family, and the trusts he set up before he died of lung cancer in February last year are now undergoing public scrutiny in a high-profile court case that has major implications for other wealthy individuals in China. It remains unclear why Zong, who built Wahaha into a... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3324534/legal-battle-among-secret-family-wahaha-founder-exposes-chinas-wealth-succession-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3324534/legal-battle-among-secret-family-wahaha-founder-exposes-chinas-wealth-succession-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Sep 2025 04:00:08 +0000 Audrey Jiajia Li Audrey Jiajia Li In early 2014, during China’s “two sessions”, I interviewed the late Zong Qinghou, the founder and chairman of Wahaha, in Beijing. He was 69 at the time, attending the National People’s Congress for the 12th time as a delegate. He appeared before my camera, travel-worn and wearing a pair of well-worn cloth shoes that cost just 20 yuan. During the interview, he was energetic and sharp-tongued, speaking frankly about the invisible barriers faced by private enterprises. He asserted that market... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3319984/chinas-titans-industry-nationalism-double-edged-sword?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3319984/chinas-titans-industry-nationalism-double-edged-sword?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Aug 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu An increasing number of wealthy mainland families have been opting to come to Hong Kong for mediation services to solve disputes instead of going to court, according to an expert. “There is an increased demand for family mediation services in Hong Kong in recent years, particularly from [mainland] Chinese families,” said Ann Cooley, founder of Hong Kong-based Cooley Family Office, which has offered mediation services to help family offices handle their disputes for three decades. “Hong Kong is... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3320068/why-do-mainland-chinas-wealthiest-families-pick-hong-kong-courts-mediate-their-feuds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3320068/why-do-mainland-chinas-wealthiest-families-pick-hong-kong-courts-mediate-their-feuds?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Aug 2025 00:30:08 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Zong Qinghou, the late founder of China’s biggest soft drinks bottler Hangzhou Wahaha Group, became the talk of the nation after a wealth inheritance feud involving his offspring surfaced earlier this year, barely 12 months after his death. Three plaintiffs claiming to be his children sued chairwoman and CEO Kelly Zong Fuli in Hong Kong and Hangzhou in eastern Zhejiang province, demanding her to honour the late founder’s will, which promised them trusts valued at US$700 million each. Until the... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3318812/explainer-why-family-feud-wahaha-no-laughing-matter-china-businesses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3318812/explainer-why-family-feud-wahaha-no-laughing-matter-china-businesses?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2025 13:20:41 +0000