Ex-Swansea ball boy kicked by Eden Hazard in line for enormous £300m payday
Charlie Morgan was the Swansea ball boy who was kicked by Eden Hazard during a League Cup match between Chelsea and Swansea City in 2013 and has since gone on to co-found Au Vodka
Eden Hazard and Charlie Morgan years later after the incident
A Swansea ball boy once booted by Eden Hazard has gone on to amass a staggering fortune – with reports suggesting he has pocketed around £300million from selling his vodka empire.
Charlie Morgan was just 17 when he became the centre of global attention during Chelsea’s 2013 League Cup clash with Swansea City, after Hazard lashed out while trying to retrieve a ball Morgan was shielding. The Belgian was sent off, the clip went viral, and Morgan’s name suddenly travelled far beyond South Wales. Hazard later revealed he apologised to Morgan, saying: “The ball boy came in the changing room and we had a quick chat. I apologised and the boy apologised as well, and it is over. Sorry.”
Now 31, Morgan has constructed one of the globe’s most recognisable premium vodka labels. He established Au Vodka alongside business associate Jackson Quinn in Swansea in 2015, and the enterprise has since skyrocketed in fame – renowned for its golden bottles, celebrity backing from stars including Floyd Mayweather and Ronaldinho, and swift growth following investment from DJ Charlie Sloth.
Hazard was sent off for kicking Morgan in 2013 (Image: YouTube/Sky News)
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The label has now been snapped up by American beverages behemoth Sazerac, with Reuters indicating the transaction is valued at approximately £300m, though the precise financial details remain confidential.
Au Vodka had previously been valued at around £150m, and Morgan and Quinn were thought to possess individual net worths of roughly £75m apiece.
More than 80 people are now employed in South Wales as Au Vodka continues to expand, and Sazerac chief executive Jake Wenz has heaped praise on the brand, describing it as one the company has long held in high regard.
“Au Vodka is a brand we’ve long admired,” he said. “What Charlie, Jackson, and Charlie have achieved in just over a decade is spectacular and rare, and we have big plans for Au as we welcome the brand into the Sazerac family.”
He said the acquisition would strengthen Sazerac’s foothold in the UK while providing Au Vodka with ‘a path for continued global growth. ‘.
Morgan and Quinn have frequently looked back on their humble beginnings, revealing they launched the business with ‘nothing but an idea and a belief that vodka didn’t have to be boring. ‘.
“We are proud to have built it into one of the most disruptive brands of this generation,” he said.
“With Sazerac, Au can be offered to more people, in more markets, faster than we ever could alone.”
Au Vodka now joins more than 500 drinks in Sazerac’s collection, which features brands such as BuzzBallz and Southern Comfort.
