In September of 2016, rapper Drake launched bourbon whiskey brand Virginia Black along with Brent Hocking, the entrepreneur behind DeLeón Tequila.
Now Drake wants to take the brand public, but in a somewhat unconventional way: through crowdfunding. The brand plans to offer shares of the company through a Regulation A+ offering, crowdsourced fundraising enabled during the Obama era, the Financial Times reports.
The offering allows Drake’s fans to invest in the whiskey. Drake has been promoting the whiskey on talk shows and even brought a few bottles with him to the Billboard Music awards shortly after the whiskey’s launch to drink shots on stage with his entourage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN4JWnTOSmg
Since its launch, Virginia Black says it has sold 60,000 cases of the whiskey. The bourbon is distributed by Proxy Spirits and a 750ml bottle will set you back roughly $40. The brand hopes to raise $30 million from investors.