Cliff Kluge, a George resident who claims to have found the secret Coke formula, sold the much sought after beverage recipe on eBay. The successful bidder is a 15-year-old teen who bid $15 million.

Reports said the teen has three days to come up with the money, causing people to dismiss the bid as a publicity stunt. Besides the weird situation of a teen winning the bid and lacking the money to pay, there are doubts if what Mr Kluge is genuine.

Mr Kluge said it would have been wonderful if the winning bidder was a genuine buyer, but since it is apparently a prank, the deal is off because it is not a legitimate bid.

Mr Klugh said he will relist the Coke formula on eBay after the standard three-day waiting period to give the winning bidder an off-chance to come up with the $15 million.

Mr Kluge, an antique dealer, claims to have stumbled upon the secret formula in a box of letters of purchased at an estate sale.

The doubts over if Mr Klug's formula is the real thing is because the recipe is a tightly guarded secret locked in a vault.

"Through the years, many have tried to crack the secret formula, but no one has been able to produce the real thing," Coca cola said in a statement.

"We can sleep well at night knowing the secret formula is safe and secure with us," AFP quoted Coca Cola spokesman Pedro Kacur.

The recipe was handed down via the family of Frank Robinson, commercial partner of chemist John Pemberton, who first produced coke in 1886.

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