Who Owns FIJI Water? The Full Ownership Story Explained

If you've ever wondered who owns FIJI Water, the answer is Stewart and Lynda Resnick a California-based couple who control it through their privately held company, The Wonderful Company LLC. 

They have owned it since 2004. Before that, a Canadian entrepreneur named David Gilmour founded the brand in 1996.

Who Owns FIJI Water? Current Ownership Explained

FIJI Water is a brand under The Wonderful Company LLC, a privately held company based in Los Angeles, California. Stewart and Lynda Resnick control The Wonderful Company and, by extension, FIJI Water.

It is not publicly traded. There is no stock ticker for FIJI Water, and The Wonderful Company does not release public financial statements. Ownership has not changed since the Resnicks acquired the brand in 2004.

Who Founded FIJI Water?

David Gilmour and the 1996 Launch

The brand was started by David Gilmour, a Canadian businessman, who identified a natural artesian aquifer on the island of Viti Levu in Fiji during the mid-1990s. 

He recognised that the water filtered slowly through volcanic rock had a distinct mineral profile, notably a high natural silica content, which gives it a noticeably smooth taste.

Gilmour set up a bottling facility directly at the source. That detail matters more than it sounds. 

Bottling at source means the water is sealed before it ever comes into contact with external environments, which became central to the brand's identity.

In practice, sourcing and bottling in the same location is relatively rare for imported water brands, and it gave FIJI Water a credible point of difference early on.

Early Growth and US Market Entry

By the late 1990s, FIJI Water had found its footing in the US through premium hotels, high-end gyms, and upscale retail. 

The product's unusual square bottle and remote Pacific origin made it easy to position as something distinct from the crowded bottled water shelf.

Annual sales were reported at around $30 million by the early 2000s modest by consumer goods standards, but a signal that there was real demand for premium imported water as a category.

The 2004 Acquisition How the Resnicks Took Ownership of FIJI Water

Who Bought It and for How Much

In 2004, Stewart and Lynda Resnick acquired FIJI Water through their company at the time, Roll Global. The reported acquisition price was approximately $50 million in cash. Gilmour had built the brand over eight years and reportedly wanted to pursue other ventures.

What's often overlooked in coverage of this deal is that $50 million for a water brand in 2004 was a significant bet. Premium bottled water wasn't the established category it is today. 

The Resnicks were essentially buying into a concept as much as a business not unlike the logic behind a well-structured fundraising strategy, where the value lies in future potential rather than current numbers.

Roll Global to The Wonderful Company

Roll Global was the Resnicks' holding company at the time of the acquisition. As noted by according to Wikipedia, Roll Global officially changed its name to The Wonderful Company on June 1, 2015, to better reflect the portfolio of consumer-facing health and lifestyle brands it had assembled.

The rebrand was cosmetic in terms of ownership the Resnicks remained in control throughout. FIJI Water's source, bottling process, and core product did not change after the acquisition. What changed was the scale of marketing investment and distribution reach.

FIJI Water Ownership Timeline

Year	Event
1996	David Gilmour founds FIJI Water; bottling begins on Viti Levu island
Late 1990s	Brand enters US market through premium hotels and retail
Early 2000s	Annual revenue reaches approximately $30 million
2004	Stewart and Lynda Resnick acquire FIJI Water via Roll Global for ~$50 million
2005–2010	Marketing expansion; distribution grows significantly
2015	Roll Global rebranded as The Wonderful Company
Present	FIJI Water operates as a brand within The Wonderful Company LLC

Who Are Stewart and Lynda Resnick?

Stewart Resnick

Stewart Resnick is a California-based entrepreneur whose business background is rooted in agriculture and consumer goods. 

As tracked on his Forbes profile, he has appeared on the Forbes 400 list, with his wealth attributed to agriculture through The Wonderful Company a portfolio he and Lynda have built over several decades. 

He built his portfolio through decades of acquiring and scaling brands starting with Teleflora in the 1970s and later expanding into large-scale pistachio and almond farming in California's 

Central Valley.

His role within The Wonderful Company is primarily operational and strategic the business side of running a multi-brand portfolio. 

While exact figures are not publicly disclosed, understanding the financial modeling and budgeting behind a portfolio of this scale gives some context for how brands like FIJI Water are managed within a larger holding structure.

Lynda Resnick

Lynda Resnick handles the creative and marketing direction across The Wonderful Company's brands. She is widely credited with developing the brand language around FIJI Water including the "Earth's Finest Water" positioning and with building POM Wonderful into a recognisable product through unconventional advertising.

Interestingly, the square bottle design that became so associated with FIJI Water is often attributed to the brand's marketing direction under her oversight, though it predates the Resnicks' acquisition.

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What Is The Wonderful Company?

The Wonderful Company is a privately held company headquartered in Los Angeles. 

It owns and operates a portfolio of premium food and beverage brands, including:

• FIJI Water

• POM Wonderful (pomegranate juice)

• Wonderful Pistachios

• Wonderful Halos (mandarin oranges)

• Teleflora (floral delivery)

• JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery

• Landmark Vineyards

• Lewis Cellars

The brands share a general positioning around quality and natural ingredients. Because the company is private, exact revenue figures across the portfolio are not publicly disclosed. FIJI Water is consistently cited as one of its most visible brands.

Does the Fijian Government Own or Control FIJI Water?

No. FIJI Water is a privately owned foreign company operating in Fiji under a commercial arrangement. The Fijian government holds no ownership stake in the brand.

What the government does control is the regulatory environment including water extraction rights and export terms. This distinction became relevant in 2010 when the Fijian government introduced a new tax on water extraction. 

FIJI Water initially halted production in protest, but operations resumed after negotiations, and the company has since increased its financial contributions to local infrastructure and community projects.

At first glance it might seem like an unusual tension a foreign company bottling a country's natural resource but arrangements like this are not uncommon in the natural resources and premium food sectors. 

The key point is that ownership of the brand and its operations sits entirely with The Wonderful Company, not with the Fijian state.

Is FIJI Water Publicly Traded?

No. FIJI Water is not publicly traded. It is a private brand within a private holding company. Investors cannot buy shares in FIJI Water directly, and The Wonderful Company has not indicated any plans for a public listing.

This means financial details exact revenue, profit margins, valuation are not publicly available. Figures that circulate online should be treated as estimates unless sourced from an official disclosure.

Conclusion

FIJI Water has been owned by Stewart and Lynda Resnick through The Wonderful Company since 2004, when they acquired it from founder David Gilmour for approximately $50 million. It remains a privately held brand with no public trading or government ownership.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who owns FIJI Water in 2025?

FIJI Water is owned by Stewart and Lynda Resnick through The Wonderful Company LLC, a private holding company based in Los Angeles. Ownership has remained unchanged since their 2004 acquisition.

Who originally founded FIJI Water?

David Gilmour, a Canadian businessman, founded FIJI Water in 1996 after identifying a natural artesian aquifer on Viti Levu island in Fiji.

Is FIJI Water actually from Fiji?

Yes. FIJI Water is sourced and bottled at an artesian aquifer on Viti Levu, Fiji's main island. It is imported to the US and other markets from that single source location.

Does the Fijian government own FIJI Water?

No. FIJI Water is privately owned by The Wonderful Company. The Fijian government regulates water extraction and export but holds no ownership stake in the brand.

What other brands does the owner of FIJI Water own?

The Wonderful Company also owns POM Wonderful, Wonderful Pistachios, Wonderful Halos, Teleflora, JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery, Landmark Vineyards, and Lewis Cellars.