Ballboy kicked by Eden Hazard set for £500m deal 13 years on from notorious second
Charlie Morgan was the Swansea City ballboy involved in a clash with Eden Hazard during a League Cup semi-final in 2013, and has since co-founded drinks brand Au Vodka, which is now the subject of a £500m deal
Charlie Morgan has gone from ballboy to multi-millionaire
A former Swansea City ballboy who made headlines after being kicked by ex-Chelsea star Eden Hazard is set for a jaw-dropping £500m agreement just 13 years after the incident.
Charlie Morgan was embroiled in the altercation with former Chelsea forward Hazard during a League Cup semi-final clash at the Swansea.com Stadium in January 2013.
Just 17 at the time, he had declined to return the ball to the Belgium international after it had gone out for a goal kick, prompting the exasperated winger to try kicking it from beneath him. Having seemingly made contact with the teenager instead, Morgan then collapsed on the touchline grasping his ribs.
Charlie Morgan (right) with business partners Jackson Quinn and DJ Charlie Sloth(Image: Au Vodka)
Hazard received his marching orders from referee Chris Foy in the dying moments of the match, which finished 0-0 to send the Swans through to the final on aggregate.
The incident saw Morgan – whose wealthy father Martin also serves as a director at Swansea City – gain instant notoriety, as he accumulated tens of thousands of social media followers. Yet, more than a decade since the incident, he has carved out success beyond football.
Now 30, the Swansea-born entrepreneur is the co-owner of drinks brand Au Vodka, which he established with mate Jackson Quinn in 2015, reports Wales Online.
Charlie Morgan was kicked by Hazard back in 2013(Image: Sky Sports)
Throughout the past decade, the premium vodka label has experienced extraordinary growth, with the firm previously valued at approximately £150 million.
Morgan and Quinn, meanwhile, recently saw their personal net worths valued at a staggering £75 million apiece, according to the 2026 Drinks Industry Rich List.
Yet their wealth is now poised to skyrocket, with the pair reportedly on the verge of finalising a jaw-dropping £500 million deal to offload Au Vodka to American beverages behemoth Sazerac Company, which already controls brands including BuzzBallz and Southern Comfort.
Hazard was shown a red card following the incident
According to Sky News, negotiations have been ongoing for several months, with an agreement now thought to be on the horizon.
Should the transaction go through, Morgan and Quinn are positioned to secure massive windfalls, with reports suggesting they will pocket payouts exceeding £100 million each.
It remains uncertain, though, whether the co-founders will retain their positions within the firm once the sale is finalised.
Au Vodka’s meteoric rise has been driven by social media marketing and celebrity backing from high-profile figures, including boxing legend Floyd Mayweather, football icon Ronaldinho and rapper Fredo.
Hazard and Morgan were reunited years later to promote Au Vodka(Image: Au Vodka)
Back in 2017, Radio 1 presenter Charlie Sloth acquired a 20% in the business after Morgan and Quinn approached him, with his connections to rappers and A-list personalities helping to amplify the brand’s profile.
More recently, in 2023, YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul had an image of the company’s bottle ‘tattooed’ on his frame after receiving $250,000 to do so before his bout with Tommy Fury.
Although it was later revealed that the stunt was a hoax, it served to enhance the brand’s reputation even more.
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.”
