Charlie Morgan became an international talking point at just 17 when a bizarre incident involving Chelsea star Eden Hazard overshadowed Swansea City’s League Cup semi-final clash in 2013.
More than a decade later, Morgan has built a very different kind of reputation.
The former Swansea ballboy has helped turn a vodka start-up into a major drinks brand, culminating in a reported £300 million sale to American spirits giant Sazerac.
Morgan founded Au Vodka with his friend Jackson Quinn two years after the infamous football incident.
The company has since developed from a small venture into an internationally recognised brand, attracting high-profile celebrity endorsements and expanding its presence in the drinks market.
The Incident That Made Morgan Famous
Morgan was 17 when Swansea faced Chelsea in the second leg of their League Cup semi-final in January 2013.
As Chelsea attempted to retrieve the ball, Morgan became involved in a confrontation with Hazard.
The Belgian forward appeared to kick Morgan as he tried to get the ball back from underneath him. Hazard was subsequently shown a red card and sent off.
What Morgan initially regarded as an extraordinary moment at a football match quickly became a worldwide story.
The teenager later recalled that he did not even realise Hazard was the player involved at first.
“I thought all along, I thought the whole time, I didn’t know and then they said it was Hazard,” Morgan said when reflecting on the incident.
Overnight Fame Came and Went Quickly
Morgan’s life changed almost immediately after the incident.
He recalled leaving the stadium expecting the story to disappear, only to discover that journalists and television crews were waiting outside his home.
“I left that game thinking it was going to be a small thing but then on the way home – my mum picked me up from the game – she had like 20 phonecalls,” he recalled.
“For like a month it was like all the newspapers outside my house and Fox News, Sky News, like the paparazzi etc.”
Morgan described the attention as intense but short-lived.
“For two weeks I was super famous and then super not famous,” he said.
That brief period of worldwide attention, however, would eventually become just one chapter in a much bigger story.
Au Vodka Emerges in Swansea
Two years after the Hazard incident, Morgan and Quinn launched Au Vodka.
The business steadily expanded, with its distinctive branding helping it establish a strong presence among younger consumers.
The company later attracted investment from British DJ Charlie Sloth, who became involved with the brand nine years ago.
His connections within the music industry helped introduce Au to a wider audience.
Celebrities including boxer Floyd Mayweather and Brazilian football icon Ronaldinho have also helped raise the brand’s profile.
The company continued to grow from its Swansea roots and eventually moved into lavish “fully gold” offices in the Welsh city.
Sazerac Agrees £300 Million Deal
The rapid expansion of Au Vodka has now culminated in a major corporate acquisition.
Sazerac, the American spirits company, has agreed to purchase the brand in a deal reported to be worth £300 million.
Sazerac chief executive Jake Wenz praised the founders and the development of the business over the past decade.
“Au Vodka is a brand we’ve long admired,” Wenz 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.”
The transaction marks a remarkable transformation for a business that began with two friends and grew into a major name in the spirits industry.
Morgan Even Revisited the Hazard Story
Despite the extraordinary success of Au Vodka, Morgan has not abandoned the bizarre football story that first made him famous.
Two years ago, he sat down with Hazard for a conversation about the incident, bringing the pair together years after their infamous encounter.
Morgan told Hazard that he remembered repeatedly trying to frustrate Chelsea players during the match, particularly Juan Mata, before the confrontation took place.
He explained that the crowd had begun reacting to his behaviour before the incident involving Hazard unfolded.
The conversation provided an opportunity for both men to look back at an episode that had followed them for years.
Hazard Recalled His Mother’s Reaction
Hazard has also spoken about the aftermath of the incident and revealed that discovering what had happened had left his mother close to tears.
For Morgan, however, the episode was ultimately the beginning of an unexpected journey.
At 17, he was known around the world because of a confrontation at a football match.
At 30, he is a successful entrepreneur whose company has reportedly changed hands for £300 million.
The football incident may have introduced Charlie Morgan to millions of people, but it was his work building Au Vodka that turned his unexpected fame into a much larger business story.
