Charlie Morgan, the former Swansea City ballboy who was kicked by Eden Hazard, is on the verge of a £500million windfall, more than 13 years after the infamous incident. Morgan, now 30, co-owns the drinks brand Au Vodka, which he founded with his friend Jackson Quinn in 2015. The duo are reportedly close to finalising an agreement to sell the premium vodka label to American beverages conglomerate Sazerac Company, which owns brands such as BuzzBallz and Southern Comfort.
Incident that sparked outrage
The controversy dates back to January 2013, during Swansea's League Cup semi-final against Chelsea. Morgan, then 17, refused to return the ball to Hazard after it had gone out for a goal kick, lying on top of it. Hazard attempted to kick the ball loose, striking the teenager. The incident led to Hazard being sent off by referee Chris Foy, and the match ended 0-0, which was enough to send Swansea through to the final on aggregate after a 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge earlier that month.
The episode brought Morgan overnight fame, amassing tens of thousands of social media followers. His father, Martin, is a millionaire and holds a directorship at Swansea City.
From ballboy to business mogul
Since then, Morgan has built a successful career outside football. Au Vodka has seen remarkable growth over the past decade, with the company previously valued at around £150m. According to the 2026 Drinks Industry Rich List, Morgan and Quinn each have a net worth of £75m. However, their wealth is set to surge dramatically with the reported £500m sale to Sazerac.
As reported by Sky News, discussions have been ongoing for several months, and a deal is believed to be imminent. Should the transaction go through, Morgan and Quinn are expected to receive payments surpassing £100m each. It remains unclear whether they will retain their roles within the company after the deal's completion.
Brand boosted by celebrity endorsements
Au Vodka's growth has been driven by social media campaigns and support from prominent figures, including boxing legend Floyd Mayweather, football legend Ronaldinho, and rapper Fredo. In 2017, Radio 1 DJ Charlie Sloth purchased a 20 per cent stake after being contacted by Morgan and Quinn, with his celebrity connections boosting the brand's visibility.
In 2023, YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul had an image of the company's bottle 'tattooed' onto his body for $250,000 ahead of his bout with Tommy Fury. Although the stunt was later revealed to be staged, it generated significant attention, with Quinn telling the BBC: "Our engagement on that moment was pretty special. We've got 300,000 followers on Instagram at the moment and on that post, in particular, it had 290,000 likes."
