Who Owns Fiji Water? Owner, Company & Full Ownership Explained (Updated for 2026)
- kmrshubham809
- 7 hours ago
- 7 min read
Fiji Water is one of those brands that feels almost mysterious. The name, the tropical imagery, the premium price—it all makes people assume it’s a local Fijian brand or something owned by the country itself. That assumption is exactly why so many people search for “Who owns Fiji Water?”
The truth is much simpler—and also more surprising. Fiji Water may come from the islands of Fiji, but the company behind it is American, privately owned, and controlled by one of the most powerful couples in the U.S. consumer goods industry.
Let’s start with the direct answer, then break everything down properly.
Who Owns Fiji Water? (Straight Answer)
Fiji Water is owned by The Wonderful Company, a private U.S.-based conglomerate controlled by billionaire couple Stewart and Lynda Resnick.
The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, and Fiji Water is just one brand within their much larger business empire. Fiji Water is not owned by the Fijian government, nor is it a locally owned Fijian company—despite the water being sourced entirely from Fiji.
If you were looking for a quick, clear answer, that’s it.But to really understand how Fiji Water became what it is today, you need to know a bit about the brand itself and how ownership works behind the scenes.
What Is Fiji Water, Really?
Fiji Water is a premium bottled water brand that sources its water from an artesian aquifer on the island of Viti Levu in Fiji. An artesian aquifer means the water naturally rises to the surface under pressure, which the brand heavily promotes as a sign of purity and untouched origin.
This origin story is a major part of Fiji Water’s marketing—and also the main reason people get confused about who owns it.
Here’s the key distinction:
The water comes from Fiji
The company does not
Fiji Water is bottled in Fiji, exported globally, and sold primarily in markets like the United States, Europe, and parts of Asia. The branding leans heavily into nature, isolation, and exclusivity, which makes many consumers assume the business itself is locally owned. In reality, ownership, strategy, and profits are controlled entirely by its American parent company.
The Company Behind Fiji Water: The Wonderful Company
Fiji Water is owned by The Wonderful Company, one of the largest privately held consumer goods companies in the United States. If the name doesn’t immediately ring a bell, that’s intentional—the company prefers its brands to be famous, not the parent entity itself.
The Wonderful Company is based in Los Angeles, California, and operates entirely as a private business, meaning it does not trade on the stock market and does not answer to public shareholders. All major decisions are made internally by its owners.
Fiji Water is just one piece of a much bigger portfolio.
The company also owns well-known brands such as POM Wonderful, Wonderful Pistachios, and Halos mandarins. This matters because it shows that Fiji Water isn’t a small standalone brand—it’s part of a highly sophisticated, vertically integrated consumer empire with massive distribution and marketing power.
Who Are Stewart and Lynda Resnick?
At the top of The Wonderful Company are Stewart and Lynda Resnick, the billionaire couple who own and control the business.
Stewart Resnick is the primary business operator and strategist. He has spent decades building large-scale agricultural, beverage, and consumer brands, often by acquiring underutilized assets and turning them into premium global products.
Lynda Resnick plays a major role in branding and marketing. She is widely credited with shaping the distinctive identities of many Wonderful Company brands, including Fiji Water’s minimalist design, luxury positioning, and celebrity appeal.
Together, the Resnicks are among the wealthiest private business owners in the U.S. Their ownership of Fiji Water is direct and controlling, meaning there are no outside investors or parent corporations above them.
How Fiji Water Was Founded and Acquired
Fiji Water was originally founded in 1996 by David Gilmour, a Canadian businessman who recognized the potential of bottling and exporting water from Fiji’s artesian aquifers.
In its early years, Fiji Water was a niche product with limited global reach. That changed in 2004, when the brand was acquired by the Resnicks through their holding company (then known as Roll Global, later renamed The Wonderful Company).
The acquisition reportedly cost around $50 million, and it marked a turning point for the brand. Under new ownership, Fiji Water expanded aggressively into the U.S. and international markets, positioned itself as a luxury alternative to mainstream bottled water, and became a staple in hotels, restaurants, and pop culture.
From that point on, Fiji Water transformed from a regional curiosity into a global premium brand—fully owned and controlled by The Wonderful Company.
Is Fiji Water a Public Company?
No—Fiji Water is not a public company.
Fiji Water does not have a stock ticker, and you cannot buy shares in it on the stock market. This is because its parent company, The Wonderful Company, is entirely privately owned by Stewart and Lynda Resnick.
This private ownership structure is important for a few reasons:
There are no public shareholders or quarterly earnings calls
Financial details are not publicly disclosed
Strategic decisions are made solely by the owners, not investors
Because Fiji Water is privately held, most people don’t realize how profitable or influential the brand actually is. Unlike public companies that must release financial statements, The Wonderful Company keeps revenue numbers and margins largely confidential.
What is clear, however, is that private ownership has allowed Fiji Water to focus heavily on long-term branding, premium positioning, and controlled global expansion—without pressure from public markets to cut costs or dilute the brand.
Where Does Fiji Water’s Money Go?
Since Fiji Water is privately owned, its profits don’t get distributed to public shareholders. Instead, revenue flows directly back into The Wonderful Company, which is controlled by Stewart and Lynda Resnick.
That money is typically used in three main ways:
Brand expansion and marketing, especially in premium markets
Operations and logistics, including bottling in Fiji and global distribution
Reinvestment across the Wonderful Company portfolio, supporting other brands under the same ownership
While Fiji Water operates facilities and employs workers in Fiji, the ultimate financial control and profit ownership remains with the U.S.-based parent company. This is common with global consumer brands, but it’s another reason why people often question who really owns Fiji Water and who benefits most from its success.
Is Fiji Water Owned by Fiji or the Fijian Government?
No—Fiji Water is not owned by Fiji, nor by the Fijian government.
This is one of the most common misconceptions about the brand. Fiji Water sources its water from Fiji and bottles it locally, but the company itself is owned by an American corporation. The Fijian government does not hold an ownership stake in Fiji Water.
That said, Fiji Water does operate under local regulations, licensing agreements, and water usage permits issued by the Fijian government. Like any foreign-owned company operating in another country, it must comply with local laws, taxes, and environmental rules.
In simple terms:
Fiji provides the resource and location
The Wonderful Company owns the brand and business
The Difference Between Water Source and Ownership
A big reason this topic creates confusion is because people naturally associate a product’s origin with its ownership—but the two are not the same.
In Fiji Water’s case:
The water source is a natural artesian aquifer in Fiji
The ownership belongs to a private American company
Many global brands operate this way. Coffee grown in one country may be owned by a company in another. Clothing manufactured in Asia may be owned by a European brand. Fiji Water follows the same global business model.
Understanding this distinction clears up most of the confusion around the question “Who owns Fiji Water?” and explains why the answer surprises so many people.
Why Fiji Water’s Ownership Matters to Consumers
For many people, knowing who owns a brand isn’t just curiosity—it affects how they feel about what they’re buying.
In Fiji Water’s case, ownership matters because the brand is closely tied to ideas of nature, purity, and origin. When consumers learn that the company is owned by a U.S.-based conglomerate rather than a local Fijian entity, it can change how they view the product.
Some buyers are simply interested in transparency. Others care about:
Where profits ultimately go
How much control local communities have
Whether branding matches business reality
None of this automatically makes Fiji Water “good” or “bad,” but it explains why the ownership question keeps coming up—and why clear answers matter.
Environmental and Ethical Controversies Around Fiji Water
Fiji Water’s ownership has also been part of broader discussions around sustainability and ethics.
Critics have raised concerns about:
Shipping bottled water long distances, increasing carbon emissions
Plastic bottle usage, despite recycling initiatives
Water extraction rights, especially during periods of local water scarcity
The company, under The Wonderful Company’s ownership, has responded by promoting efforts such as carbon reduction programs and packaging improvements. Still, these debates are often revisited precisely because Fiji Water is a foreign-owned brand operating in a developing island nation.
Ownership doesn’t cause these controversies—but it places them under a stronger public spotlight.
Other Major Brands Owned by The Wonderful Company
Fiji Water is not an isolated brand—it’s part of a much larger portfolio owned by The Wonderful Company.
Some of the most well-known brands under the same ownership include:
POM Wonderful (pomegranate juice)
Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds
Halos (mandarins)
This matters because it shows that Fiji Water benefits from shared infrastructure, marketing expertise, and distribution networks. It also reinforces the fact that Fiji Water is part of a large, professionally run consumer goods empire, not a small independent bottler.
Conclusion
So, who owns Fiji Water?
The answer is clear: Fiji Water is owned by The Wonderful Company, a private American conglomerate controlled by Stewart and Lynda Resnick.
While the water itself comes from an artesian aquifer in Fiji, the brand, business decisions, and profits are managed from the United States. Fiji Water is not owned by the Fijian government, nor is it a locally owned company—despite what the name and branding might suggest.
Understanding this distinction between where a product comes from and who owns it helps clear up much of the confusion surrounding Fiji Water. It also explains why the brand attracts so much attention, discussion, and debate.
Whether you’re simply curious about the company behind the bottle or trying to make more informed purchasing decisions, knowing who owns Fiji Water gives you a fuller picture of how this globally recognized brand really operates.