Beyoncé Knowles continues to expand her ventures into the country music scene with the launch of her whiskey brand, “SirDavis,” under the LVMH umbrella. This move brings her into the same lucrative industry that helped her husband, Jay-Z, become a billionaire and could edge her closer to that milestone if successful.
On Tuesday morning, Beyoncé announced the launch on Instagram, sharing a photo of herself holding a glass of dark liquor with the caption, “🥃DAVIS IN MY BONES🥃.”
Initial images of the product reveal a ribbed glass bottle encased in custom leather, featuring a logo that includes the renowned horse Reneigh, first seen on the cover of her “Renaissance” album.
The brand’s trademark, filed in June by Moët Hennessy, an LVMH subsidiary, bears the tagline, “The future of whisky is here.”
Almost at the Billionaire Status
As of May, Beyoncé’s net worth was estimated at $760 million, amassed from her music career and various ventures, including her now-discontinued Ivy Park clothing line with Adidas, collaborations with Balmain, her perfume Cé Noir, and Parkwood Entertainment, her production company.
If SirDavis follows the success of other celebrity alcohol brands, it could significantly boost Beyoncé’s wealth.
Her husband, Jay-Z, earned $300 million from selling half of his luxury champagne brand Ace of Spades to LVMH in 2021 and $750 million from selling a majority stake in D’ussé Cognac to Bacardi.
A 750ml bottle of SirDavis is priced at $89.99 (Ksh.11,598) on the brand’s website, with shipping expected to begin in early September.
Others Celebrities Making a Killing from Alcohol Business
Celebrity-owned alcohol brands often yield substantial profits. For example, Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation Gin was sold to Diageo in 2020 in a deal valued at $610 million, and George Clooney’s Casamigos tequila was valued at $1 billion in 2017.
Sean “Diddy” Combs also earned close to $1 billion from his Ciroc vodka and DeLeón tequila brands in partnership with Diageo.
Other celebrities in the alcohol industry include Dwayne Johnson, Kendall Jenner, Robert De Niro, and “Breaking Bad” stars Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston.
Earlier this year, Beyoncé released her first country album, “Cowboy Carter.” She joins the ranks of other country musicians who have ventured into whiskey, including Darius 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).
Last year, Beyoncé was ranked 36th on Forbes’ list of Power Women and 45th on this year’s list of America’s wealthiest self-made women, with a net worth of $760 million as of May.
Her husband, Jay-Z, is currently valued at $2.5 billion, making him the 1,331st richest person in the world. His wealth is derived from his music career and substantial investments in alcohol, art, and technology. LVMH, the parent company of SirDavis, also owns luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Moët & Chandon, Tiffany, Dior, Sephora, and Bulgari. Bernard Arnault, LVMH’s chairman, has a net worth of $189.1 billion, making him the third richest person in the world.
