Kombucha has treated George Thomas Dave well.
But Dave’s kombucha factory treated workers terribly for years, according to a new ruling in a long-running lawsuit against his company, GT’s Living Foods.
Dave started selling kombucha as a teenager in the 1990s, personally delivering bottles he brewed in his parents’ Bel-Air home to Erewhon Market, and GT’s Living Foods remains the leading company in the market. Today, candy-colored bottles of GT’s drinks, including the popular Synergy brand, line the shelves at Walmart, CVS, Whole Foods and practically every other major retailer in the nation.
As the owner of GT’s — which sells about $275 million of the fermented tea drink and other beverages each year — Dave has become a billionaire, according to Forbes estimates. This year he bought a $14-million hilltop estate just a few streets away from the two-home compound he already owned in Beverly Hills.
All along, he’s insisted that good vibes and a positive attitude have been the secret to his success.