Coca-Cola’s Grand Larceny
Once the COVID-19 epidemic struck in 2020, Coke has only held virtual annual meetings. At each meeting since 2020, I submitted a question focusing on one or more issues described above. For the last couple of meetings, I spotlighted the egregious case of heroic Mexican entrepreneur Jose Antonio Del Valle Torres, who I’ve gotten to know over the years, involving the theft of trade secrets for a sugarless, all-natural ingredient brain-boosting healthy beverage named “GO GABA” that he created. It was estimated to be worth billions of dollars in future sales by senior investment bankers and Coca-Cola’s executives.
Jose Antonio had already established markets in Mexico and The Netherlands and won international acclaim from such companies as Google as well as from Mexican and French authorities for bringing this innovative new beverage into the market. Coca-Cola recognized the unique concept and revenue-producing potential of GO GABA and wanted the ‘know-how’ behind it.
After signing a legally binding agreement with Coke’s Mexican subsidiary to further develop the GO GABA beverage innovation, Mr. Del Valle Torres’ beverage trade secrets were stolen through a series of nefarious activities. Coca-Cola fraudulently began marketing Fanta GABA in Japan in May 2018. In July 2018, Jose filed two criminal complaints against Coca-Cola for corporate fraud and industrial property theft. Mexico City’s Attorney General officially determined that Jose had already suffered losses totaling $345 million USD. Fanta GABA was almost instantly pulled from the market.
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Self-Imposed Exile and Escaping Serious Injury or Death
Mr. Del Valle Torres’ situation has become so precarious that he has been forced to move his residence multiple times in order to stay alive as he lives in self-imposed exile from his home country. This has taken a gigantic toll on his life’s aspirations, family, health and well-being.