BrewDog founder James Watt bids for UK business, faces data privacy probe

• BrewDog founder James Watt is attempting to buy back the company's UK and Australian operations from Tilray Brands.
• Watt's bid is being made through his venture, Second Best.
• Tilray Brands acquired BrewDog's brand and assets for £33m in March.
• Former shareholders have complained to the UK's ICO about Watt's use of their contact details for his bid.
• The ICO is investigating potential data privacy breaches related to the emails sent to shareholders.

BrewDog co-founder James Watt has launched a bid to regain control of the craft beer firm's UK and Australian operations, which were sold to US firm Tilray Brands for £33 million in March. The bid, made through Watt's venture 'Second Best', aims to return the company to its original 'equity punks' and employees.

However, Watt is also facing scrutiny from the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) following complaints from former shareholders. These investors allege that Watt obtained their contact details improperly to solicit support for his buy-back proposal, raising concerns about potential breaches of data privacy regulations like GDPR. Watt maintains that the data was lawfully obtained and that his communication was in connection with legitimate interests.

Tilray Brands has stated that BrewDog is not for sale and that it did not acquire the shareholder data in question, distancing itself from Watt's activities. The company emphasized its commitment to data privacy and confirmed no data had been shared with external parties or former directors. The ICO is currently reviewing the complaints, with the potential for fines if a data protection violation is confirmed.