The Proper No Twelve Irish Whiskey founding team, led by Conor McGregor, and Proximo Spirits have announced that they have reached a long-term agreement to continue their record-breaking collaboration on the Proper No Twelve brand. McGregor will retain an interest in Proper No Twelve and will remain actively engaged in the promotion of the brand.
“I founded Proper No. Twelve less than three years ago and today it has become a shining star in the spirits industry,” McGregor said. “This agreement is exciting for my partners and me, and the potential is limitless! Our vision is for Proper No. Twelve to continue its incredible growth worldwide and to keep bringing new consumers to the now-reinvigorated Irish whiskey market.”
The Proper No Twelve founding team consists of McGregor, his manager and business partner Audie Attar, and spirits industry entrepreneur Ken Austin. In just two and a half years since its launch, Proximo and this team have built Proper No Twelve into a highly recognized, record-breaking growth brand. The brand’s Instagram handle, @properwhiskey, has amassed nearly a million followers and is the “most-followed social media account in the spirits industry,” according to a press release.
“Conor McGregor, Proximo and our partners have taken the spirits world by storm,” said Mike Keyes, President & CEO of Proximo. “When we launched, the Irish whiskey market was dominated by one brand. Now, Proper No. Twelve has disrupted the category and has become a leading brand in the industry. We are thrilled with what we and our partners have achieved in growing Proper No. Twelve to this point, and we look forward to continued success together. This agreement also demonstrates Proximo’s commitment to expand its presence in the fastest-growing segments of the spirits industry.”
Ken Austin, Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of Proper No. Twelve added, “We launched Proper No. Twelve just a few years ago and our efforts have been magical. I am proud of our team and even more proud that we have been able to use this business as a platform to give back by donating millions of dollars to first responders around the world.”
The brand has shipped more than 500,000 nine-liter cases (over 6 million bottles) in eight distinct international markets in the first two and a half years of business, with additional territories on the horizon. McGregor, Attar and Austin will continue to work closely with Proximo in building the brand to even greater heights.
“Conor and I started to dream about building our own brands and companies from the beginning of our journey together, which was roughly a decade ago. We brought that dream to reality,” said Audie Attar, CEO of Paradigm Sports, and Co-Founder of the brand. “We could not be prouder of our team and the success we’ve all built together. We are excited for the next phase of this incredible brand: making Proper No. Twelve the leading Irish whiskey in the world.”
“It is rare to see a celebrity impact a brand the way Conor McGregor has Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey, and I have not seen many brands in the spirits industry catapult to this level of success in such a short period of time. This agreement is a vote of confidence in the incredible potential of this brand and a testament to the incredible work of Conor, Audie, Ken and the Proper No. Twelve team, as well as the efforts of Proximo and its distributors, who have all made this success possible,” said Mr. Keyes.
The terms of the agreement are confidential.
In April, Proximo owner Becle (which also owns Jose Cuervo) announced it has locked in a $150 million loan to acquire the remaining stake in the company behind Conor McGregor’s Proper No Twelve Irish whiskey.
