跟巴菲特的一场谈话如何使他做起了上亿美元的烈酒生意

    艾维公司把多数股权卖给了法国饮品巨头保乐力加集团

    在一场扑克比赛中跟沃伦•巴菲特进行的一次关于龙舌兰酒的随意交谈，如何激发一位企业家创建起一门上亿美元的生意？值得庆幸的是，发生在拉斯维加斯的事情并非总是停留在那里。

    艾维烈酒有限责任公司(Avion Spirits LLC)拥有一个相当年轻，但增势迅猛的龙舌兰酒品牌。该公司上周五同意将其“大多数股权”卖给保乐力加集团(PernodRicard)，交易值据说近1亿美元。这份协议可能会进一步推动酒吧和酒柜市场的高价龙舌兰酒销量。

    “龙舌兰酒正处于其生命周期的第二局，艾维面临惊人的全球机遇，”艾维公司创始人兼董事长肯•奥斯汀在接受《财富》杂志(Fortune)采访时这样说道。 “我们将与保乐力加集团一起抓住这个机遇，因为他们拥有强大的实力。”

    奥斯汀的“啊哈”时刻并不完全是一个随机事件。作为马奎斯飞机公司(Marquis Jet)总裁，他与巴菲特旗下的NetJets航空公司(NetJets Aviation Inc.)存在合作关系。所以，奥斯汀早已熟识这位“奥马哈先知”。

    几年前，他们在一年一度的扑克锦标赛相遇。据说，巴菲特当时注意到奥斯汀订购龙舌兰酒的消息，随即主动跟他谈论起这种出产自墨西哥的烈酒。在那次谈话中，奥斯汀指出一个颇有意思的现象：在高端龙舌兰酒市场，还没有涌现出一位足以挑战Patron公司领导地位的参与者。

    “沃伦说，‘还没有其他公司脱颖而出，这的确有意思，’”奥斯丁转述了一下当时的谈话。“就在那一刻，我突然开窍了。”

    这次谈话结束后，奥斯汀立即飞往墨西哥，寻求开发一个顶级龙舌兰酒品牌。他的合作对象是一个连续五代人一直种植龙舌兰的农户（这种植物是所有龙舌兰酒的原料）。

    “我不想要一种现成的龙舌兰酒。对于龙舌兰酒的口感，我有自己的构想，”奥斯汀说。

    Avion sells majority stake to French beverage giant Pernod Ricard

    How did a casual conversation about tequila with Warren Buffett at a poker tournament inspire an entrepreneur to build a multi-million-dollar business? Thankfully what happens in Las Vegas doesn’t always stay there.

    Avion Spirits LLC, owner of a fairly young but rapidly growing tequila brand, agreed Friday to sell a“significant majority stake” to Pernod Ricard in a deal that could further propel the premium priced tequila in bars and liquor cabinets. The deal is reportedly valued at almost $100 million.

    “Tequila is in the second inning of its lifecycle, and the global opportunities for Avion are monstrous,” said Ken Austin, Avion’s founder and chairman, in an interview with Fortune. “We are going to be positioned with Pernod Ricard to take advantage of that because of the muscle that they have.”

    Austin’s “Aha” moment wasn’t a completely random occurrence. As president of Marquis Jet, a company that works with Buffett’s NetJets Aviation Inc., Austin already knew the Oracle of Omaha.

    They were at an annual poker tournament several years ago when Buffett reportedly took note of Austin’s tequila order and struck up a conversation about the Mexican-produced spirit. In that conversation, Austin pointed out it was interesting that no clear player challenged market leader Patron among premium tequilas.

    “Warren said, ‘That’s really interesting that no other player could break through,’” Austin said, relaying the conversation. “That was the moment that I had the epiphany.”

    Following that conversation, Austin jetted off to Mexico and sought to develop a premium tequila brand. He worked with family that has grown agave, used to produce all tequilas, for five generations.

    “I didn’t want an off-the-shelf tequila, I had a vision for how it was going to taste,” Austin said.