On July 15, according to Phoenix Finance, Zong Jichang, Zong Jieli and Zong Jisheng have filed lawsuits against the new head of Wahaha, Zong Fuli, in Hong Kong and Hangzhou. Their attorney publicly stated that the three are actually Zong Fuli’s “half-brothers and sisters” and their mother is Du Jianying, a veteran of Wahaha. The three put forward two core demands: one is to claim the rights of a trust fund worth US$2.1 billion – it is said that the fund was promised by Zong Qinghou before his death; the second is to confirm the inheritance rights of Zong Fuli’s 29.4% stake in Wahaha Group.
An old Wahaha employee revealed that the internal rumor was that Du Jianying and Zong Qinghou got a marriage certificate in the United States in 2005. “When I joined the company 2000 years ago, Du Jianying was already the second in command of the company.” After the eldest lady (referring to Zong Fuli) entered the company in 2004, she became more and more involved in the core of power. Around 2010, Du Jianying rarely appeared in the company. At the company’s internal conference, the two will not appear in the same frame. Du Jianying believes that Wahaha is about to have problems because of Zong Fuli’s “trouble”. Zong Fuli’s shareholding in “Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co., Ltd.” is not stable. Hangzhou Shangcheng District Government holds 46% of the shares, Zong Fuli only inherited Zong Qinghou’s 29.4% of the shares, and the employee stock ownership association still holds 24.6%. Previously, Shangcheng District Cultural, Commercial and Tourism Group negotiated and intended to transfer its 46% shares to Zong Fuli, but the price was not agreed. Du Jianying asked the government to transfer the shares through public bidding. I think Du Jianying intends to take over the 46% shares.
Another middle-level employee who has worked in Wahaha for more than 20 years said that many people in the company are relatives of the Zong family, and everyone knows the relationship between the boss and Du Jianying. After Du Jianying left Wahaha, he founded Sanjie Company. We all think that the name “Sanjie” is related to the three children (the first letter of their English names is “J”). Du Jianying gets along well with the Zong family. Sanjie Company also has Zong Qinghou’s sister Zong Rui. Du Jianying and Zong Qinghou should have obtained a marriage certificate. The exact time is unclear, but they must have obtained the certificate after the birth of their child. The reason for obtaining the certificate may be related to the family tree. Zong Jichang also worked at Wahaha, but later the eldest daughter may be more powerful. She did not recognize Zong Qinghou’s other children, and Zong Qinghou had no choice. Later, Zong Jichang left the company.
In 2024, Zong Fuli submitted a letter of resignation. It is said that Du Jianying originally suggested introducing professional managers from outside to manage the company, but in the end, due to pressure from all sides, the plan to introduce professional managers from outside was shelved. This year, Wahaha was exposed to entrusting Jinmailang to OEM, which was also related to their conflicts. Wahaha closed the production lines of more than 10 branches, resulting in insufficient production capacity, and the main owner of these production lines was Du Jianying. Starting from 2024, Zong Fuli asked old employees to transfer their labor contracts to Hongsheng Group. We were “targeted” because of our refusal, and our year-end bonus was reduced by tens of thousands, and our monthly salary was also reduced. Now many employees are suing the company.
