James Watt (entrepreneur)

For the Scottish inventor, see James Watt. For other people with similar names, see James Watt (disambiguation).
James Watt
Born (1982-05-18) 18 May 1982
Fraserburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
EducationUniversity of Edinburgh (LLB)
Occupations
  • Businessman
  • investor
  • television personality
Years active2007–present
Known forCo-founder of BrewDog
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 2013; div. 2020)​

​
(m. 2025)​
[1]
Children2

James Bruce Watt MBE (born 18 May 1982) is a British businessman and investor from Fraserburgh, Scotland. He is the co-founder and former CEO of BrewDog. As of 2024, his net worth is estimated to be over £400 million.[2][3]

Early life and education

James Bruce Watt was born on 18 May 1982 in Fraserburgh.[4][5] Watt attended the University of Edinburgh where he studied law and economics between 2000 and 2004.[6] During this time, he shared a flat with his school friend Martin Dickie, who was studying distilling at Heriot-Watt University.[7] The pair shared a passion for brewing, and would go on to found BrewDog together.

Upon graduation, Watt secured a job as a trainee solicitor, but left after two weeks. He then worked as a professional fisherman, following in his father's footsteps, earning a captains qualification. In his free time he would brew homemade beer in his garage.[7][8][9]

Career

In 2007, Watt teamed up with his friend Martin Dickie to create BrewDog, with Watt acting as CEO. The brand’s name was inspired by Watt’s father’s new puppy, combining "brew" with "dog" for a name that resonated globally. What started as a small garage brewing operation soon evolved into a beer empire.[9] In 2008 the pair applied to appear on Dragons' Den, but were rejected.[10]

Watt and Dickie opened their first bar in nearby Aberdeen in 2009.[11][12] The company offered crowdfunding shares in 2011, totalling £2 million.[13] In 2012 the company moved its brewing to nearby Ellon, ending operations in Fraserburgh in 2014.[14] In 2016, BrewDog open-sourced its beer recipes to the public, making them a form of Free Beer.[15][16] In 2017, Private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners acquired a 22% stake in the company for approximately £213 million.[17] In 2018, BrewDog announced its plan to build a $30 million brewery and tap room in Brisbane, Australia.[18]

BrewDog is currently the seventh largest beer brand in Britain.[19] Watt tenure has been marked by controversy in recent years.[20] In May 2024, Watt stepped down as CEO after 17 years, and was replaced by Chief Operating Officer James Arrow. James Watt said he would move to a newly-created position of "captain and co-founder" and retain his shares in the company.[21][19] BrewDog's losses had doubled to £59 million in Watt's final year.[2]

On June 17, 2024, Social Tip, a British influencer marketing platform founded by James Watt. At launch, Social Tip attracted initial funding of approximately £600,000, backed by investors such as Haatch and several business angels, and had partnered with over 30 brands, including Huel, PureGym, Dash Water, Slug & Lettuce, and BrewDog.[22]

Television work

Watt appeared alongside Martin Dickie from 2013 on their reality TV show Brew Dogs on the American network Esquire, which lasted 3 seasons.[23] After Esquire shut down in 2017, they launched SVOD service BrewDog Network, priced at $4.99 monthly.[24] The networks initial PR campaign centred around the launch of beer.porn – a parody of a well-known pornography website – featuring content which drew criticism from industry observers and some shareholders.[25][26] The network was relaunched in 2019 for free. As well as featuring Watt, its content includes originals featuring actress Alison Becker and Zane Lamprey, with acquired content featuring the likes of William Shatner and Curtis Stone.[24]

In 2025, House of Unicorns was launched as a British reality television show created by James Watt, co-founder of BrewDog. The show aims to support entrepreneurship in the United Kingdom by providing a platform for startups with high growth potential. Contestants compete for a total investment of £2 million, of which £1 million comes from Watt’s personal funds, while the remaining £1 million is provided by Founders Capital, a European network of investors.[27][28]

Criticism

BrewDog's business practices

BrewDog has been at the centre of numerous controversies surrounding its practices. In 2008, the Portman Group accused them of aggressive marketing, though the company was ultimately cleared of any breaches.[29][30] In response, BrewDog provocatively launched a beer named Speedball, which was promptly banned and renamed Dogma.[31] The brewery gained further attention for producing high-strength beers, including Tokyo* (18.2% ABV), Tactical Nuclear Penguin (32% ABV), and The End of History (55% ABV), the latter encased in taxidermy and criticised by animal rights groups.[32] BrewDog's marketing campaigns, including a 2015 crowdfunding advert and a "non-binary transgender beer," sparked backlash over perceived insensitivity.[33]

The company has been embroiled in legal disputes over trademarks, notably losing battles with Elvis Presley Enterprises over its "Elvis Juice" IPA. In 2017, BrewDog threatened legal action against an independent pub called Lone Wolf, a trademark owned by BrewDog, drawing controversy for acting like a "corporate machine" despite claiming to pride itself on a "punk" ethos.[34] A day later, following the report from The Guardian, Watt tweeted the company had no issue with the pub using the name, blaming "trigger happy" lawyers. The tweet drew criticism as the pub had already spent thousands on rebranding and legal representation, with no notification of resolution prior to the tweet.[35] Watt was also angrily defensive of BrewDog's legal action against a bar that tried to name itself "Draft Punk".[19]

In 2018, BrewDog's release of Pink IPA for International Women's Day faced widespread criticism for its execution, with many accusing the marketing of being tone-deaf and patronising.[36] The beer's packaging was ruled by the Portman Group as likely to appeal to under-18s, breaching their Code of Conduct.[37] BrewDog initially dismissed the findings but in 2020 later acknowledged the campaign as a misstep, with CEO James Watt admitting the "backlash was justified" and calling it one of the company's "biggest mistakes".[38] In 2019 the company was accused of stealing marketing concepts from Manifest London, a PR firm, and from job applicants using fake interviews and other deceptive practices.[39]

In 2021, BrewDog came under investigation by the Advertising Standards Authority concerning their claim that 24 carat solid gold beer cans had been hidden in cases of beer. Some winners had their cans independently valued, discovering the cans to actually be gold-plated brass valued at £500.[40] Watt contacted 50 winners to offer a full cash amount, ultimately buying 40 of the cans out of his own pocket.[41]

In November 2022, the company criticised Qatar's human rights abuses with an "anti-sponsorship" of the FIFA World Cup, pledging profits from Lost Lager sales to related causes. However, critics accused the company of hypocrisy, noting its own employee controversies, continued beer sales in Qatar, and plans to show matches in its bars.[42][43] In January 2024, BrewDog announced it would stop paying the "real living wage", drawing criticism from unions and former staff.[44][45]

Personal conduct and inappropriate behaviour

BrewDog was met with criticism in 2021 when a group of over 100 former BrewDog employees published an open letter criticising the firm's business practices and the treatment of its employees. The letter cited a "culture of fear", with signatories saying a significant number of former staff had "suffered mental illnesses as a result of working at BrewDog", claiming that the company was "built on a cult of personality" of the founders.[46][47][48] In June 2021, an employee made allegations regarding James Watt's conduct, which were subsequently investigated by BrewDog USA's Human Resources department. According to the company, the investigation concluded that the claims were not substantiated and no further action was deemed necessary.[49] In a statement provided to The Columbus Dispatch, BrewDog USA's press relations team described the allegations as “not accurate,” while also noting that Watt had expressed “considerable regret” if any of his actions had made staff feel uncomfortable.[50]

In 2022, James Watt was the subject of allegations concerning inappropriate conduct and abuse of power, as reported by the BBC One investigative series Disclosure. The program featured interviews with former employees who described their time at BrewDog as difficult and uncomfortable,[49][50] and included comments from some long-time customers who expressed regret over investing in the company.[51] Several current and former employees made allegations, with some claiming that Watt made female bartenders feel "uncomfortable" and "powerless", with one employee saying that female staff would dress down when they knew Watt would be in their bars.[52][50] He was also accused of flirting with a staff member before taking her to the roof of a BrewDog building, and regularly taking intoxicated female customers on private, late-night tours of the brewery, making employees feel uncomfortable. In response, Watt’s lawyer stated to the BBC that he conducts private tours for both women and men, including friends and customers, and that those who accompany him are not intoxicated.[50]

The BBC also revealed that Watt had £500,000 worth of shares in Heineken, he clarified that it was actually £120,000.[53]

In 2023 Watt published an open letter on LinkedIn addressed to "the small group of individuals who seem to have made it their life's work to take down our company" after it was named on The Times' Best Places to Work 2023 list.[54]

Watt was later accused of trying to "intimidate" ex-staff, and hired private investigators to obtain information on people he believed were propagating a smear campaign against him.[55] Watt claimed he was the subject of a "criminal shakedown" and said there are "people working together behind the scenes to attack me with criminal means".[56][53]In February 2024, Ofcom rejected over 20 complaints levied by BrewDog and Watt brought against the BBC, with BrewDog claiming that the BBC's documentary had unfairly targeted the company with a "hatchet job".[57][4]

Personal life

Watt splits his time between London and Ellon.[58] In 2013 he married illustrator Johanna Basford OBE. The couple met in 2006, and have two daughters.[59] Basford divorced Watt in 2020.[60] In 2022, Watt admitted to a "brief, amicable relationship with a team member" during a difficult period of his marriage.[53]

In 2023 Watt brought a private prosecution against ex-girlfriend Emili Ziem following a civil court finding that she fraudulently induced him into sending her £100,000 in Bitcoin by pretending to investigate an alleged online conspiracy against him. She was acquitted of criminal charges.[61]

In 2024 he became engaged to media personality Georgia Toffolo, whom he had been in a relationship with since 2023. Watt faced backlash after being spotted attending Nigel Farage's 60th birthday celebrations with Toffolo.[62][63] He also faced backlash in 2024 for announcing that he was considering delaying their marriage for up to 3 years in order to avoid paying tax on an investment in Toffolo's business venture.[63] The pair wed in 2025.[19]

Watt was awarded an MBE alongside business partner Martin Dickie in 2016.[11]

Watt's father, James "Jim" Watt, died of pancreatic cancer in August 2024. In 2022, Watt claimed he hadn't spoken to his mother in over 20 years. His parents married in 1977, and separated 25 years later followed by complex divorce proceedings over the division of assets.

Watt is autistic and has ADHD. He claims his Asperger's Syndrome diagnosis came when seeking help after being described as "semi-autistic" by a journalist.[64]

Recognition

  • Awarded Great British Entrepreneur of the Year in 2014.[65]
  • MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List (2016)[66]

References

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