Zhang Junjie, the founder of Chinese beverage chain Chagee, has just gotten married.
In a fitting nod to the brand, he served guests milk tea at his wedding banquet.
The tea mogul wed Gao Haichun, the heiress of renewable energy company Trina Solar, in a ceremony at the Zhongwu Hotel in Changzhou, China, on Dec 15, according to various media reports.
Junjie and Haichun, both 32, met at a networking event and registered their marriage in June.
The pair’s nuptials garnered significant public attention as both are wealthy and well-known in the business industry.
Those who attended the wedding banquet posted photos and videos on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, offering the public a glimpse into the high-profile celebration.
The couple, dressed in traditional Chinese wedding attire, held a grand wedding at the hotel’s banquet hall.
One detail that caught public attention was the large number of drinks at the event, with rows upon rows of Chagee milk tea served in various flavours as well as ice and sugar levels.
Several Chagee employees also shared photos of the wedding gift boxes that they received. They contained various sweet treats and cookies, alongside a red Chagee cup.
During a speech at the banquet, an emotional Haichun said to Junjie: “In your sadness, joy, aspirations, journey, and in everything, you have me. From now on, you won’t be alone anymore. You have a home now.”
These words appeared to resonate with many netizens, given the Chagee founder’s widely reported humble beginnings.
According to media reports, Junjie was born into poverty in Yunnan, China. He was then orphaned at the age of 10.
He began working at a milk tea store in his birthplace at 17, before rising through the ranks and becoming a franchise partner within five years.
In 2017, Junjie founded Chagee, which has since grown into a publicly listed company in 2025. He became a billionaire following the IPO in April.
Bloomberg reported that the premium tea brand has more than 6,440 outlets, with the majority of them in China.
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carol.ong@asiaone.com
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