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George Clooney Accidentally Set Up A Company, And Now It's Worth $1 billion

George Clooney Accidentally Set Up A Company, And Now It's Worth $1 billion

It was originally just for him and his pals.

Michael Minay

Michael Minay

The closest I've got to being rich 'accidentally' is forgetting I'd put a tenner on some football results over a weekend.

George Clooney set a business up by accident and now it's worth $1 billion (£790,000).

According to CNBC, the acting legend set up a tequila company on a whim, and is selling it for a seven-zero sum to rival firm Diageo.

His company, Casamigos - which translates as 'friends' from Spanish, the native language of Mexico: the home of tequila - was formed by himself and two pals: Rande Gerber, and Michael Meldman.

Credit: Casamigos

The trio came together when Clooney and Gerber bought neighbouring properties in Mexico and got into drinking tequila.

In March, Gerber told Business Insider: "Casamigos really started by accident as far as a company.

"As you do in Mexico, we would drink a lot of tequila. We'd go out to bars and restaurants, and bartenders would recommend them. Some were good, some not so good, and some expensive.

"There came a point when George turned to me and said, 'Why don't we create one that's perfect for us?'"

After two years of meetings with distillers, and 700 samples of tequila later (well, someone has got to do it), they found that 'perfect' recipe.

Credit: Casamigos

To them, perfection was making a tequila they could drink all day long, that didn't have a burning aftertaste, or leave them feeling hungover.

Initially, it was only for the consumption of Clooney and Gerber, but when they started to bring in 1,000 bottles per year into the UK, the distillery told them that they would have to get their drink licensed.

Meldman joined the team in 2013, and found a distributor in the US. They launched the company, but kept the ethos of making it affordable.

"George doesn't need the money," explained Gerber. "I didn't need it. Mike didn't need it. It wasn't the reason behind launching a tequila. We wanted everyone to be able to drink it, and not be exclusive."

The brand doubled its volume between 2014 and 2015, and is now sold in 20 countries. It retails between $45 and $55 (£35-£43).

Reviews on distiller.com give the drink a high rating and praise for its smooth texture.

Credit: PA

It may seem that Clooney has been quiet for a while, but he'll soon be back on our screens, one way or another.

He's written and produced Surburbicon, which is expected to be released later this year. The film, which features Matt Damon, is a crime comedy.

In 2018, he'll be named on the production credits for Ocean's Eight - filming for which began last year.

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