A court in China has come under criticism for auctioning the last remaining asset of a bankrupt millionaire. It was a bottle of Sprite. This decision has drawn widespread criticism for what many described as a waste of judicial resources. According to a report by the South China Morning Post, the Dafeng District People’s Court in Yancheng, in Jiangsu province, southeastern China, was responsible for the auction.
The report mentioned the bottle, typically sold for about 6 yuan (around Rs 108), was auctioned starting at just 4.2 yuan (approximately Rs 50). A total of 366 people signed up to bid while the listing received over 13,000 views.
The court also mandated the winning bidder must collect the item in person as shipping options were not provided. The auction took place on Alibaba’s Judicial Auction Platform, an online venue where courts sell seized assets, including luxury goods and real estate, as highlighted in the report.
The owner of the Sprite bottle auctioned by the court, identified by the surname Chen, was linked to two companies: a biotechnology firm and a marine food business. The total registered capital of these companies exceeded 10 million yuan (approximately Rs 11.9 crore).
Both companies went bankrupt, with legal documents revealing they were involved in several disputes and faced administrative penalties. They received sanctions from local environmental authorities for not having the required environmental protection measures in their seaweed farming and processing operations. The debtor admitted the companies could not repay their debts but expressed hope for changing the situation in the future.
The auction sparked a debate on Chinese social media regarding the appropriate use of judicial resources. Commenters expressed their disbelief at the situation. One user remarked, “This auction is just wasting resources.”
“This is so ridiculous. I bet Sprite itself never imagined it would be auctioned one day,” another added.
Someone else pointed out, “However, you can buy it at the market for just 6 yuan. Unless someone from the court decides to buy it themselves.”
According to the report, this wasn’t the first time the mentioned Chinese court auctioned small items. Previously, it successfully sold items such as two vegetable washing basins for 7.1 yuan (approximately Rs 84), a cup for 5.6 yuan (around Rs 67) and a set of screwdrivers which went for 5.6 yuan (about Rs 67). Among the most surprising auctions was that of two bottles of expired windscreen washer fluid, which sold for just 4.08 yuan (about Rs 49).
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