Topline
Musician Beyoncé Knowles is continuing her foray into the country music world with the launch of a whiskey brand called “SirDavis” under the LVMH empire, entering the same industry that made her husband a billionaire and could push the superstar musician closer to the same title depending on how it performs.
Beyoncé accepts the Innovator Award onstage during the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards on April 01, … [+] 2024.
Key Facts
Beyoncé took to Instagram Tuesday morning to announce the launch of the brand, holding a glass of dark liquid and captioning the photo “DAVIS IN MY BONES.”
The first images released of the beverage show a custom leather case with a ribbed glass bottle inside, featuring a logo with the famous horse Reneigh, who was first featured on the cover of Beyonce’s “Renaissance” album.
A trademark application filing for the brand, which includes the tagline “The future of whisky is here,” was filed in June by Moët Hennessy, a subsidiary of mega luxury goods brand LVMH.
Beyoncé had an estimated net worth of $760 million in May, built on her music career and other ventures like her now-defunct Ivy Park clothing line with Adidas, a collaboration with fashion house Balmain, perfume Cé Noir and production company Parkwood Entertainment.
The size of Beyoncé’s stake in SirDavis wasn’t immediately clear, and representatives for the star and LVMH did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for more information Tuesday.
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What To Watch For
SirDavis could bring Beyoncé even closer to billionaire status if it takes off like other celebrity alcohol brands, including those of her husband, billionaire Jay Z. He is estimated to have made $300 million selling half of his luxury champagne brand Ace of Spades to LVMH in 2021 and $750 million selling a majority of his stake in D’ussé Cognac to Bacardi.
Big Number
$89.99. That’s how much a 750ml bottle of SirDavis sells for on the brand’s website. Bottles are expected to ship as soon as early September.
Tangent
Alcohol is often a lucrative business for celebrities. Aviation Gin, the company fronted and partially owned by Ryan Reynolds, sold to Diageo in a 2020 deal valued at $610 million, and George Clooney’s Casamigos tequila brand was valued as high as $1 billion when it sold in 2017 (how much the actors personally made on the respective sales is unclear). Sean “Diddy” Combs earned nearly $1 billion from his relationship with Diageo for his partnerships with the Ciroc vodka and DeLeón tequila brands, according to a court filing obtained by The New York Times (Combs and Diageo parted ways last year). Other big names with their own brands include Dwayne Johnson, Kendall Jenner, Robert de Niro and Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranson of “Breaking Bad.” Beyoncé, who released her first country music album Cowboy Carter earlier this year, is not the first musician in the genre to launch a whiskey—she’s joined by Daris Rucker (Backstage Southern Whiskey), Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley (Old Camp Whiskey), John Rich (Redneck Riviera), Jason Aldean (Wolf Moon Bourbon) and Willie Nelson (Old Whiskey River), among others.
Forbes Valuation
Beyoncé was ranked 36th on Forbes’ list of Power Women last year and at No. 45 on this year’s list of America’s wealthiest self-made women. She was estimated to have a net worth of $760 million as of May. Her husband, Jay Z, has an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion as of Tuesday, making him the 1,331st richest person in the world. His wealth was built on his music career and significant investments in alcohol, art and tech. The LVMH conglomerate is the parent company to brands like Louis Vuitton, Moët & Chandon, Tiffany, Dior, Sephora, Bulgari and dozens more. Its chairman, Bernard Arnault, has a net worth of $189.1 billion and is the world’s third richest person.
Further Reading
ForbesForbes Richest Self-Made Women in America 2024 ListForbesThe World’s Most Powerful Women 2023ForbesHere’s How Much Jay-Z Made On His Ace Of Spades Deal—And How It Stacks Up Against Other Celebrity CashoutsBy Abigail FreemanForbesActor Ryan Reynolds Sells Aviation Gin Brand For A Reported $610 MillionBy Brad JapheForbesDiddy Liquor Dispute: Diageo Dropping Rapper Who Sued For Racial Discrimination, Unfair Promotion Of BrandsBy Mary Whitfill Roeloffs
