Charlie Morgan, the ballboy infamously kicked by Chelsea's Eden Hazard in 2013, has become a multi-millionaire entrepreneur with a thriving vodka business. Now 30, Morgan founded AU Vodka in 2015 with friend Jackson Quinn, and the brand has grown into a £150 million enterprise, with Morgan's personal wealth estimated at £56 million.
The incident occurred during the League Cup semi-final second leg between Swansea City and Chelsea, when Hazard, frustrated by time-wasting, kicked Morgan to retrieve the ball. Hazard received a red card and later apologised to Morgan in the changing room. The pair recently reunited in 2024, posing for a photo with glasses of AU Vodka.
AU Vodka is stocked in major retailers including Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Tesco, Costco, Sainsbury's, and Asda. The brand has attracted backing from sports stars such as Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho and boxer Floyd Mayweather. Morgan announced the move to a new gold-themed headquarters in Swansea on LinkedIn, reflecting the brand's distinctive gold bottles.
Morgan's journey from ballboy to business owner has been widely noted, with the vodka brand now employing 96 people. The company's success marks a remarkable turnaround from the 2013 incident that first brought Morgan into the spotlight.
