UFC star Conor McGregor is worth £120m thanks to money-spinning Proper No. Twelve whiskey business and fashion line
DOES Conor McGregor even need to step into the Octagon now? The 32-year-old UFC superstar has fought just twice since 2018, and most recently was shocked by Dustin Poirier at UFC 257, where he was knocked out. But, aside from his earnings for fighting, it’s his businesses outside of MMA that have set him up […]
DOES Conor McGregor even need to step into the Octagon now?
The 32-year-old UFC superstar has fought just twice since 2018, and most recently was shocked by Dustin Poirier at UFC 257, where he was knocked out.
But, aside from his earnings for fighting, it’s his businesses outside of MMA that have set him up for life.
McGregor reportedly has a net worth of around £120m. However, that doesn’t take into account his ventures in whiskey and fashion.
In 2018, he unleashed Proper No. Twelve into the crowded whiskey market, and that was said to have raked in £750m in its first year.
He also teamed up with American clothier David August Heil, the man famous for designing his infamous ‘F*** You’ suit, and embarked on a menswear label a year later, which is said to make £50m in profits-per-year.
WHISKEY A-GO-GO
Before taking on Khabib Nurmagomedov, McGregor became a one-stop promotional tool for Proper No. Twelve.
Every press conference saw McGregor clutching a bottle gleefully, announcing his latest business idea to the crowded room.
He also revealed where the name for the whiskey came from.
He said: “I come from a place called Crumlin, in Dublin 12.
“It’s a place dear to my heart. It’s where I learned how to fight, it made me who I am today.”
“It’s a place I’m still very much a part of every single day of my life. So, that’s where the name came from. It’s proper Irish whiskey and twelve is my hometown.”
When it finally came to launching the drink on a dry run at the end of 2018, it completely sold out.
In fact, at one point in Tesco Ireland stores customers were only allowed to buy two bottles at a time.
And the showman’s penchant as a salesman must’ve paid off when he revealed the official figures in its first year of business.
Taking to Instagram, McGregor wrote: “Over $1b generated in Whiskey sales in my first year! Like it or not, there is a new King in town! Proper Whiskey, liquid sunshine!”
The whiskey is such a hit in America the company sold six months’ worth of stock in its first 10 days of trading.
It sold 2.4million bottles in its first six months of trading.
However, the brand is now subject to a takeover after Mexican tequila company Becle, who own Jose Cuervo Tequila, said they were buying it outright.
Becle are set to assume control of Proper Twelve, having bought a 20 per cent share of the brand initially before upping their stake to 49 per cent last year.
And according to reports, it could net McGregor a whopping £112million payday.
CHARITY CASE
Initially, Proper Twelve also aided charities.
On launch he said: “First responders all over the world are the unsung heroes who act with courage and answer the call of duty every day for people in need.
“I have great respect for these men and women. The company has committed to donate $5 for every case sold to local first responder organisations/charities, up to $1 million annually.
“The organisations/charities will be identified for each state and country around the world and donations will go directly to specific states and countries where sales take place.”
Last year, he said Proper No. Twelve would donate to Australian first responders after the bushfire disaster.
HE’S IN FASHION
Known for his sharp suits and sharp tongue, McGregor, who once called David Beckham his fashion icon, has always enjoyed splashing his cash on fashion.
Before he fought Floyd Mayweather in 2017, the Irishman was seen in various suits designed by David August Heil – a man responsible for ensuring the likes of Sylvester Stallone, Will Smith, and Robert Downey Jr are red carpet-ready.
On closer inspection, stitched into the lining, you could see the words ‘F*** You’ etched onto the flashy garments.
At one fitting the pair decided that they should collaborate together.
“We casually chatted about doing a line together but we finally got serious over the past several months,” he said before the main event against ‘Money’ Mayweather.
“I credit David [Heil] with creating the look that has become a signature of mine and there’s no other person I know who understands how fashion can change a person — physically, mentally and emotionally.”
LAUNCH TIME
After a delay, the ‘Drop 1 Look Book’ collection saw the release of limited edition t-shirts, hoodies and caps.
Incredibly, the clobber costing roughly between £40-£120 sold out in just a day.
“Our audience is seriously committed and loyal,” Heil told The Irish Sun.
“We sold out of a couple of styles within the first 24 hours of launching the site and we didn’t really promote it other than our immediate followers and Conor’s fanbase.”
August McGregor later introduced tailored suits to their range, as well as winter jackets as his empire continues to grow.
It has been estimated that the clothing line brings in a staggering £50m in profits per year.
SPONSORSHIPS AND THE DIGITAL AGE
In 2018, upon a signing a multi-million pound six-fight deal with the UFC, McGregor renewed a contract with Monster Energy drinks worth somewhere in the region of £750,000-per-year.
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Brand McGregor also appeals to Reebok, who use him as one of their famous endorsors and offd him around £4m-per-year.
And digitally, McGregor knows what’s up when it comes to selling himself.
He has investments in tech products like The MacTalk App, which allows fans to download McGregor soundbites for £1.09 a pop, as well as his own website, TheMacLife.com – a MMA media outlet and news website dedicated to the man, who can’t help but generate money with his name.
