Swansea vodka founder eyes £500 million sale after famed football incident
Charlie Morgan, the former Swansea City ballboy who was kicked by Eden Hazard in 2013, is negotiating a sale of his Au Vodka brand valued at about £500 million.
Charlie Morgan, who gained worldwide attention when Eden Hazard kicked him during a 2013 League Cup semi-final, has built a premium spirits company called Au Vodka with school friend Jackson Quinn. The duo are reportedly negotiating a sale to the Sazerac Company, an American beverage conglomerate, that could value the business at around £500 million, potentially netting each founder about £100 million. Au Vodka, founded in 2015, now sells over 35,000 bottles a day and recently moved into a lavish gold-clad headquarters in Swansea, reflecting its signature packaging.
The brand has attracted high-profile supporters, including football legend Ronaldinho and former boxing champion Floyd Mayweather. Legal counsel includes Forsey for Sazerac and DLA Piper for Au Vodka. In 2024, Morgan and Hazard even appeared together in a promotional shoot for the vodka, signaling a full-circle reconciliation.
Why it matters
The potential deal marks a major UK-based spirits brand’s entry into a global portfolio, highlighting the commercial rise of a former football-related figure.
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