Who purchased the Coca-Cola formula and brand rights from John Stith Pemberton?

Asa Griggs Candler purchased the Coca-Cola formula and brand rights from John Stith Pemberton.

Candler was an Atlanta pharmacist and businessman who acquired interests in Coca-Cola from Pemberton and other stakeholders during the late 1880s. By 1888, he had gained control of the business and began turning the drink into a mass-market product.

His strategy relied heavily on advertising, coupons, branded serving items, and syrup distribution to soda fountains. These methods helped Coca-Cola expand far beyond its original Atlanta market.

Candler later helped organize The Coca-Cola Company in 1892. He sold the company in 1919 to a group led by Ernest Woodruff, so Ernest Woodruff is sometimes confused with the person who originally acquired Coca-Cola from Pemberton.