Conor McGregor is set to double his net worth and he didn’t have to fight to do it.
The former UFC champion and his manager Audie Attar are reportedly selling their 51% stake in Irish whiskey Proper 12 to Mexican spirits giant Becle — owner of Jose Cuervo and 1800 Tequila.
McGregor launched Proper 12 in 2018. Becle had a 20% share at the time, but increased its stake to 49% last year for more than $230 million. The whiskey’s name references McGregor’s hometown of Crumlin in postal district Dublin 12.
McGregor and Attar are expected to split roughly $155 million under parent company Eire Born Spirits in the sale. McGregor made $48 million last year and $5 million for his shock loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257, per Forbes.
Despite harsh reviews, many are still interested in Proper 12. In 2018, the brand was limited to two bottles per customer in Tesco Ireland due to high demand and sold out of a six-month supply in 10 days. It’s since expanded to the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia.
Becle released its 2020 full-year earnings in February. The conglomerate’s net sales increased 19.4% year-over-year to $1.7 billion.
McGregor has other business ventures with his apparel brand August McGregor and Reebok, which pays the MMA fighter roughly $5 million per year. “I’m 30 now, say by 35 I’ll be a billionaire,” he said in 2018.
