纽约时报中文网 - 英文原版-英Zong Qinghou Beverage Tycoon in China Dies at 79
February 26, 2024 2 min 264 words
这篇报道揭示了中国饮料大亨宗庆后去世的消息，纽约时报中文网以其独到的视角传递了这一新闻。宗庆后作为中国商业巨头，对国内饮料产业的发展有着深远的影响。然而，报道似乎未深入分析宗庆后的商业遗产和其在行业中的角色。更多的背景信息和专业评论，能够帮助读者更全面地理解这位商业巨子的贡献和影响。希望未来的报道能够深挖故事背后的细节，呈现一个更为丰富、立体的图景。
Zong Qinghou, a self-made beverage entrepreneur who was once the richest person in China, died on Sunday.
His death was announced by his company, Wahaha Group, which said that Mr. Zong had died from an unspecified illness and gave his age as 79. The company statement provided no further details.
Mr. Zong’s rags-to-riches story had made him prominent in China even before a public feud with his foreign business partner considerably raised his profile — and his wealth. He founded a beverage company in the 1980s, and in the 1990s, he partnered with Danone, the French food giant, to launch one of the best-known food and beverage brands in China.
But tensions erupted in 2007 when Danone accused Mr. Zong of running secret companies selling virtually identical products that siphoned off as much as $100 million from the joint venture.
Mr. Zong struck back, saying that Danone had known about the companies. Vowing to punish Danone for its “evil deeds,” he rallied public opinion in China against the foreign company.
The dispute grew so acrimonious that France’s president, Nicolas Sarkozy, raised the matter in a meeting with China’s leader, Hu Jintao. In 2009, Danone sold its 51 percent stake, giving Mr. Zong’s company full control.