Lionel Messi or Connor McGregor? Who earned the most from alcoholic beverages

Elite athletes, who are the best at their thing, know that their "useful life" has an expiration date. For this reason, it's very common for them to decide to venture into various areas so that once they do not compete, they can continue working. In that sense, both the soccer player Lionel Messi and the UFC fighter Conor McGregor ventured into the world of alcoholic beverages, although with mixed luck. 

In 2018, Lionel Messi met with the authorities of Bodega Bianchi, who produce one of the best wines not only from Argentina but also from the world in the Uco Valley in Mendoza, to create a special edition in commemoration of him. They were wines that offered very good value for money and that, in addition, offered a plus: from the winery they detailed that the project had charitable purposes, since a percentage of the proceeds from their sales went to public good works that the foundation carries on in the country and abroad.

The winemaker Silvio Alberto was responsible for preparing a batch of about 3,000 bottles of a 2017 vintage wine for the football star. As for the profit, the specific number that Messi kept for his production never came to light, but his cost per bottle averaged $ 25.

The Proper No. Twelve Whiskey was released in September 2008 by Eire Born Spirits, a company founded by fighter Conor McGregor and his manager, Audie Attar. Since then, The Notorious hasn't stopped promoting its drink everywhere, achieving notable sales especially in the United States. In fact, it's not a product that has reached the whole world, but that may change now.

It's that the Mexican tequila company Becle, owner of José Cuervo, announced the acquisition of the brand of the UFC superstar. In fact, Becle owned 20% of the spirits firm since its inception, when he made a contribution to the creation of it. In 2020 it became 49% and now they will take over the remaining 51% in order to fully control the business. It remains to be seen if the former champion will continue to be linked in some way to 'his' whiskey. 

From the Irish newspaper Irish Mirror, it's pointed out that the total purchase could mean that McGregor and Attar will share a payment of approximately 130 million euros. In the case of The Notorious, the 20 million he took from the fight against Dustin Poirier would have to be added this year to his total earnings, and it's estimated that his net worth will exceed 200 million euros when this year ends.