Startup Asks Investors to Put Their Shares on a Roulette Wheel for ‘Double or Nothing’ Ownership

Capitalism FTW.

November 30, 2016 9:00 am

When they released a $20,000 beer in a taxidermied squirrel, we got the idea the guys at BrewDog were a bit odd — even for Scots.

Their latest stunt has done nothing to dissuade that notion.

To help publicize the company’s pledge to open a brewpub in any American city where at least 500 people invest in the Equity for Punks USA crowdfunding campaign, BrewDog co-founder James Watt has announced he plans to place a double-or-nothing roulette bet with shareholder funds.

The bet — which will be made in February and livestreamed on the brewery’s Facebook page — will give investors who opt-in the chance to instantly double their stake in the company. By the same token, if the spin goes wrong, investors will lose their “gamble shares” in a flash.

“This is not about taking a chance. This is about taking a stand. A stand for independence. A stand for rebellion,” BrewDog says. “This is not normal investing. This is not corporate America. This is not Wall Street. This is not a coked-up Leonardo DiCaprio in an expensive suit.”

In order to sweeten the pot for BrewDog’s Big Bet, the company brewed a special-edition beer called Casino Rye-Ale and will add a share of the profits to the wager Watt places in February.

Whether they’re part of the bet or not, shares cost $47.50, with a minimum investment of two.

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