Charlie Morgan, the former Swansea City ballboy who was kicked by Eden Hazard in 2013, is on the verge of a £500 million deal to sell his drinks brand Au Vodka, 13 years after the infamous incident.
From Ballboy to Businessman
Morgan was 17 when he clashed with the then-Chelsea forward during a League Cup semi-final at the Swansea.com Stadium in January 2013. He delayed returning the ball for a goal kick, prompting Hazard to attempt to kick it from under him. Morgan collapsed on the touchline, and Hazard was shown a red card by referee Chris Foy. The match ended 0-0, sending the Swans through to the final on aggregate.
The incident brought Morgan instant notoriety, with his father Martin serving as a Swansea City director. Now 30, Morgan co-founded Au Vodka with Jackson Quinn in 2015. The brand has since grown significantly, previously valued at around £150 million. In 2026, Morgan and Quinn were each valued at £75 million on the Drinks Industry Rich List.
The £500m Deal
According to Sky News, negotiations have been ongoing for several months, with an agreement now thought to be near. The deal would see Au Vodka sold to American beverages company Sazerac, which owns brands including BuzzBallz and Southern Comfort. Should the sale go through, Morgan and Quinn could each receive payouts exceeding £100 million. It remains unclear whether they will stay with the firm post-sale.
Rise of Au Vodka
Au Vodka's success has been driven by social media marketing and celebrity endorsements from figures like Floyd Mayweather, Ronaldinho, and rapper Fredo. In 2017, Radio 1 presenter Charlie Sloth bought a 20% stake after Morgan and Quinn approached him, leveraging his connections to amplify the brand. In 2023, YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul had a fake tattoo of the company's bottle after receiving $250,000, a stunt that boosted the brand's profile.
Quinn told the BBC at the time: "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."
