Charlie Morgan, the Swansea City ball boy whose clash with Eden Hazard made headlines in 2013, is reportedly close to securing more than £100m from the sale of the spirits company he co-founded.
Morgan, now 30, and business partner Jackson Quinn are in advanced negotiations to sell Au Vodka in a deal that could value the company at as much as £500m.
US drinks giant Sazerac Company is understood to be close to completing a takeover from the two Swansea supporters. If the transaction goes through, Morgan and Quinn are each expected to receive in excess of £100m.
It remains uncertain whether Morgan will stay involved with Au Vodka after the sale.
Morgan became internationally known after an incident during the second leg of the League Cup semi-final between Swansea City and Chelsea in 2013. With Swansea leading, he held on to the ball behind the goal in an attempt to delay the restart.
Hazard, then a Chelsea player, kicked Morgan and was shown a red card. The Belgium international later apologised for the incident, while Morgan’s role in the confrontation made him a prominent figure beyond Welsh football.
Since then, Morgan’s business career has developed rapidly. He and Quinn founded Au Vodka, which has gone on to become a successful drinks brand and made Morgan a millionaire.
The company sold a minority stake to private equity firm Metric Capital in 2023. Morgan invested further money into the business last year and relocated its headquarters to an all-gold office building.
Au Vodka has also received backing from a number of high-profile names, including former world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather, Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho and American entertainer Jake Paul. Paul went as far as having a tattoo of the company’s bottle design.
Morgan and Hazard later put their infamous meeting behind them. Two years ago, the pair reunited and posed together for a light-hearted photograph.
Hazard, who became a popular figure at Stamford Bridge during his Chelsea career, shared the image on social media. He had been angered by what he viewed as Morgan’s deliberate time-wasting during the 2013 match.
“The good thing about retirement is catching up with old friends. You’ve come a long way in 11 years, my friend,” Hazard wrote alongside the picture.
The proposed Au Vodka deal would mark a dramatic change in fortunes for Morgan, whose name was once mainly associated with a single controversial moment in a League Cup tie. It would also provide a major financial return for him and Quinn after building the brand from its launch into a company attractive to one of the world’s biggest drinks groups.
