Who Actually Owns Fiji Water? the Billionaire Couple Behind the Square Bottle
FIJI Water did not begin in Hollywood boardrooms. Canadian real estate and mining entrepreneur David Gilmour founded the business in 1996 after securing a long-term tap on an underground volcanic aquifer located on the island of Viti Levu, the largest landmass in the Republic of Fiji. Gilmour recognized early on that bottled water would transition from a utility into an identity accessory. He hired packaging designers to craft a square bottle that would refuse to roll off yacht decks or aircraft trays, stamping it with vibrant flora.
By the early 2000s, the brand generated international buzz, but Gilmour lacked the distribution logistics required to fight entrenched giants like Nestlé, Danone, and Coca-Cola. Enter Stewart and Lynda Resnick. The couple bought FIJI Water outright in 2004 through their private investment vehicle, Roll Global, for a reported price tag near $150 million.
The acquisition transformed the business from a boutique luxury importer into a dominant force across the global premium bottled water industry. The Resnicks brought ruthless supply-chain discipline, existing relationships with national distributors, and Lynda Resnick's marketing playbook. Under their control, the bottle was placed directly in high-profile television dramas, backstage at the Emmy Awards, and in the hands of red-carpet attendees.
