Who Actually Owns Dr Pepper?

Everyone knows Pepsi and Coca-Cola dominate the soda aisle, but have you ever wondered which corporate giant owns your other favorite fizzy soda? Despite potentially flying under the radar compared to Pepsi and Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper has built a massive following of its own.

In fact, Dr Pepper recently overtook Pepsi itself, claiming the number two spot for most popular soda in the world in both 2024 and 2025, second only to Coca-Cola. So, with all that success, who actually owns Dr Pepper? We may not have figured out the mystery of Dr Pepper's 23 flavors, but we do know who owns the brand. It's not Coca-Cola, and it's not PepsiCo either. Instead, Dr Pepper falls under the umbrella of Keurig Dr Pepper, a powerhouse beverage conglomerate that also manages some of your other favorite bottled bevvies like Snapple, 7UP, and Canada Dry. While Pepsi and Coke spend decades battling it out, Dr Pepper has carved its own empire and a lane of its own in the cola wars.

But Keurig Dr Pepper hasn't been the soda's owner forever. The brand's story winds through more than a century of mergers, attempted buyouts, bottling partnerships, and surprising twists that shaped its rise from a Texas pharmacy creation to one of the world's most iconic sodas.

Dr Pepper has such an interesting history (and loyal fan base) that there's a whole museum dedicated to Dr Pepper in Texas. This state is a fitting place for this educational shrine, because that's exactly where the drink originated! The inventor of the staple soda was actually a pharmacist — and back in the 1880s, pharmacies usually were also home to soda fountains. Combine that with Charles Alderton's unique scientific prowess and passion for chemistry, and you've got the perfect storm to birth Dr Pepper.

Since the soda started selling in 1885, ownership has shifted many times. Within its first couple of decades, the brand was growing fast; and in 1923, the Dr Pepper Company was officially incorporated in Dallas, Texas. Impressively, the brand weathered wars, economic instability, sugar shortages, and the rise of fierce competitors like Coke and Pepsi. Even during the Prohibition, Dr Pepper's popularity soared since it was a great-tasting alternative to alcohol. It was actually marketed as having health benefits, which probably boosted sales.

Coca-Cola actually tried to acquire Dr Pepper back in the 1980s, but that never came to fruition. It wasn't until 2018 that the Dr Pepper Snapple Group merged with Keurig Green Mountain to form Keurig Dr Pepper. Today, Dr Pepper offers numerous flavors, (check out our favorite Dr Pepper flavor) from the classic original to cherry, vanilla, and diet and zero-sugar variations, proving that even after more than a century, the brand continues to innovate and delight fans.