Adidas is investigating bribery allegations in China, says FT

Adidas AG has launched an internal investigation into bribery allegations at its business in China following a whistleblower complaint accusing senior officials of embezzlement, according to the Financial Times.

The anonymous letter named several Chinese employees, including a senior manager involved with Adidas' marketing budget in the Asian country, the newspaper reported.

Adidas did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Bloomberg outside of regular business hours.

According to the Financial Times, the letter alleged that Adidas staff received bribes from third-party service providers. A second senior Adidas manager, who works in a different division in China, is accused of having received “millions in cash” from suppliers and physical items such as real estate, according to the report.

The Financial Times said Adidas confirmed in a statement that it had received a letter on June 7 warning it of “possible compliance violations in China.”

The company told the newspaper that it was “committed to complying with legal and internal regulations and ethical standards in all markets where we operate” and that it was “intensively investigating this matter together with external legal counsel.”