Former Swansea City ballboy Charlie Morgan is in talks to sell his Au Vodka empire to the American drinks giant Sazerac for £500 million.
Morgan, 30, made headlines 13 years ago when Chelsea icon Eden Hazard was sent off for kicking him after the teenager dived on the ball to waste time during a 2013 League Cup game.
According to Sky, Morgan and his school friend Jackson Quinn, who created the brand in 2015, are in negotiations over a possible sale that could mean they never have to work again.
Ongoing talks for £500 million sale
Morgan has set himself up for life with the business. Negotiations over the sale have reportedly been going on for several months and an agreement is close.
Sazerac is understood to be keen to build its presence in Britain. Under the proposed terms, the founders are set to take £100 million each and could yet retain roles in the company.
The American drinks giant is represented by the law firm Forsey, while Au Vodka is working with DLA Piper.
Gold headquarters and business growth
Au Vodka sells more than 35,000 bottles of premium spirit per day and recently moved into glitzy, fully gold offices in Swansea.
The headquarters feature a gold exterior, a gold ceiling, a gold café and gold signage to match the brand's signature gold bottles.
Announcing the move on LinkedIn, Morgan proudly reflected on the company's growth.
"Introducing….. The new Au Vodka HQ," he wrote. "We spent four years in our first office which was only 250 sq ft and only just fit myself, Jackson Quinn and Jordan Major (who was just 16 and packing orders!)."
"We spent 5 years in a industrial unit in Swansea, where we grew the business exponentially and the team to 96 people, which we added a new mezzanine floor to house more people four times."
"Today we've moved into our new home - A fully gold HQ which really represents Au and what we stand for."
Fans congratulated Morgan on the new headquarters, with one praising the business leader for staying 'true' by not moving out of Swansea.
Celebrity endorsements and Hazard reunion
The vodka brand has drawn support from celebrities including the Brazilian footballing legend Ronaldinho and the former American boxer Floyd Mayweather. Morgan now boasts a jet-setting lifestyle on his Instagram page.
The infamous 2013 incident left football fans worldwide split over the ordeal between the attacking great and the teenager.
However, Hazard appears to be a fan of the brand. The two men put their fraught history behind them, appearing together in a photoshoot to promote the vodka two years ago in a public relations campaign that gripped the footballing world's interest.
Hazard posted several photos on his social media accounts, posing with Morgan while holding a glass of blue raspberry Au Vodka. He also shared pictures showing the two looking at a chess board that had a number of bottles of Au Vodka on it.
"A nice thing about retirement is catching up with old friends," Hazard wrote on X. "You have come a long way in 11 years my friend @charliem0rgan, @auvodka x @hazardeden10."
