Who founded The Coca-Cola Company after acquiring the beverage's formula and rights in 1888?

Asa Griggs Candler founded The Coca-Cola Company after acquiring Coca-Cola's formula and rights in 1888.

Candler was an Atlanta businessman and pharmacist who purchased interests in the beverage from its creator, John Stith Pemberton, and other stakeholders. He organized the Coca-Cola Company in 1892, turning a local pharmacy drink into a systematically marketed business.

Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, so he is often mistakenly described as the company's founder. Candler's contribution was different: he built the commercial organization, promoted the name, and established distribution and advertising practices that allowed the product to expand beyond Atlanta.

Candler's aggressive marketing helped make Coca-Cola a national brand. He later sold the company to a group led by Ernest Woodruff in 1919. Robert Woodruff, Ernest's son, subsequently became one of Coca-Cola's most influential presidents.