Broke Chinese Millionaire's Bottle of Sprite Auction Attracts Over 300 Bidders, Criticism Mounts Against Chinese Court

The auction drew massive interest in the listing, with over 300 bidders despite its low value.

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Sotheby's Asia chairman Nicolas Chow (R) speaks to the press during a media tour of the new two-storey, 24,000 square foot (2,230 square metre) Sotheby's space at Landmark Chater in the Central district of Hong Kong on July 25, 2024. ISAAC LAWRENCE/AFP via Getty Images

A Chinese court allowed a broke Chinese millionaire to sell his last asset at an auction, but the strange object did not go unnoticed by mainland people.

The object currently up for auction is a Sprite bottle, the bankrupted millionaire's last possession.

According to SCMP, many believe it's a waste of judicial resources to allow such a thing to be bought in an auction held by the Dafeng District People's Court in the Jiangsu province of Yancheng. Interestingly, over 300 people rushed to bid on the soft drink, which is priced at $0.59 (4.2 yuan), compared to a typical bottle of Sprite that costs $0.85 cents (6 yuan).

The court also required the winning bidder to personally pick up the broke millionaire's auction since shipping is not an option.

The Broke Chinese Millionaire

The Star shared that the ex-millionaire was previously linked to two companies, a company on marine food and biotechnology. Both businesses declared bankruptcy with no valuable assets left,

Reports showed that both companies faced several legal penalties, particularly for failing to meet environmental regulations related to their operations, which is seaweed farming.

Auctioning the single empty Sprite bottle was withdrawn after a settlement was reached. By that time, however, it already generated massive interest with 13,000 views on the listing.

The Chinese court, in question, is no stranger when it comes to auctioning small items. Previously, the SCMP report learned that the Dafeng District People's Court auctioned vegetable washing basins and even a cup, both at small prices as well. Criticisms emphasize that these low-cost items were already equivalent to a round-trip bus fare.

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