Charlie Morgan, a former ball boy for Swansea City football club, has sold his vodka brand, Au Vodka, to the US-based beverage company Sazerac for £300 million. Morgan, who gained early attention in 2013 after an incident involving then-Chelsea player Eden Hazard, co-founded the Swansea-based vodka company in 2018 alongside Jackson Quinn.

The brand gained significant momentum following investment from DJ Charlie Sloth, helping it achieve viral popularity. Morgan credited the company’s success to their initial vision of creating a vodka that challenged traditional perceptions of the spirit. “We started with nothing but an idea and a belief that vodka didn’t have to be boring,” he said.

Sazerac, a major player in the global drinks market, indicated that it has ambitious plans for Au Vodka, aiming to expand the brand into additional markets more rapidly than the founders could have managed independently. Morgan expressed optimism about the partnership, noting that working with Sazerac would enable the brand to reach a broader audience at a faster pace.

At 30 years old, Morgan has transformed his experience as a football club ball boy into a lucrative entrepreneurial venture, culminating in what has been described as one of the most significant sales of an independent spirits brand in recent years.