If you have ever seen a bottle of D’USSÉ sitting behind a bar, you have probably noticed two things immediately. First, that sleek dark bottle with the bold gold Cross of Lorraine stamped on the front. Second, that it carries the cultural weight of one of the greatest artists in music history. D’USSÉ is not just a cognac — it is a brand that fused French heritage, hip-hop culture, and luxury spirits into something the drinks industry had never quite seen before. But behind the glamour, the celebrity, and the golden bottle, there is a genuine and dramatic ownership story involving a $3 billion valuation, a bitter legal battle, a $750 million settlement, and one of the world’s largest private spirits companies.
Here is the complete, verified ownership story of D’USSÉ in 2026.
What Is D’USSÉ?
D’USSÉ is a premium cognac brand launched in 2012, co-founded by American rapper and entrepreneur Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter in collaboration with Bacardi Limited and conceived by master blender Michel Casavecchia, produced at the historic Château de Cognac in France — one of the region’s oldest cognac houses established in 1795.
The brand takes its name from the French commune of Ussé, reflecting a blend of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary appeal. D’USSÉ produces two cognacs: D’USSÉ VSOP and D’USSÉ XO. D’USSÉ VSOP is aged at least 4.5 years in the Château de Cognac cellars. The XO expression is aged for a minimum of 10 years, delivering complex notes of ripe blackberry, apricot, dark chocolate, and walnut.
What makes D’USSÉ genuinely special is where it is made. D’USSÉ Cognac is masterfully crafted at the prestigious Château de Cognac, one of the oldest cognac houses in France, with a 200-year legacy in blending some of the world’s finest spirits. The Château’s proximity to the River Charente results in two climates within its walls — a humid cellar that results in fruity, floral notes, and a dry cellar that brings out the woody depth.
Who Owns D’USSÉ Liquor?
The direct answer as of 2026 is this: D’USSÉ is majority owned by Bacardi Limited, the world’s largest privately held spirits company. D’USSÉ is a brand of cognac owned by Bacardi. It is made at the Château du Cognac in Cognac, France.
Bacardi now owns at least 75.01% of the business. Jay-Z, whose given name is Shawn Carter, retains “a significant ownership stake” through his company SCLiquor LLC.
So the ownership today breaks down into two clear parts: Bacardi holds the controlling majority at 75.01% or more, and Jay-Z — through his company SCLiquor LLC — holds the remaining minority stake. The exact percentage Jay-Z now holds has not been publicly disclosed.
Who Owns D’USSÉ Cognac — Ownership Table
| Owner / Shareholder | Type | Ownership Stake | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bacardi Limited | Majority Owner | At least 75.01% | World’s largest private spirits company; controls day-to-day operations |
| Jay-Z (SCLiquor LLC) | Minority Owner | Significant but undisclosed stake | Sold majority of his 50% in February 2023 settlement for ~$750 million |
| Empire Investments Inc. | Bacardi Subsidiary | Operational arm | Wholly owned by Bacardi; manages D’USSÉ’s daily operations |
| Michel Casavecchia | Original Cellar Master | No ownership stake | Created the D’USSÉ blend; conceived the brand’s flavor identity |
| Château de Cognac | Production Facility | No ownership stake | Historic 200-year-old facility where all D’USSÉ is produced |
The Origin Story: Jay-Z, Bacardi, and a French Château
The story of D’USSÉ starts with a rap icon who genuinely loved cognac — not just as a lifestyle accessory, but as a product he wanted to understand and build from the ground up.
Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter established a 50% ownership stake in D’USSÉ upon its founding in 2012, marking his entry into the cognac market as a co-owner and strategic visionary. This move drew from his growing expertise in luxury spirits, highlighted by his 2014 acquisition of the Armand de Brignac champagne brand (commonly known as Ace of Spades).
Released in June 2012 in New York, D’USSÉ is a collaboration with hip-hop mogul Jay-Z and Bacardi. The partnership was structured as a 50-50 joint venture — Jay-Z through SCLiquor LLC owned half, and Bacardi through its subsidiary Empire Investments Inc. owned the other half and managed daily operations.
D’USSÉ Cognac was conceived by the senior-most cellar master working today, Michel Casavecchia — one of the world’s greatest authorities on Cognac, who had been curating spirits for more than 20 years at the prestigious Château de Cognac.
The launch was unlike anything the cognac world had ever seen. Instead of marketing to the traditional older European audience that cognac brands typically pursued, D’USSÉ went directly for a younger, culturally diverse American audience — one that already associated the spirit with hip-hop culture, luxury, and aspiration. The strategy worked immediately. D’USSÉ has significantly contributed to the popularization of cognac within hip-hop audiences, building on a longstanding affinity between the spirit and rap culture that dates back to the 1990s. The brand’s close ties to Jay-Z have led to frequent references in hip-hop lyrics, positioning D’USSÉ as a symbol of luxury and success in the genre.
The $3 Billion Legal Battle That Changed Everything
For the first decade, D’USSÉ was one of the fastest-growing spirits brands in the world. But behind the scenes, serious tensions were building between Jay-Z and Bacardi — and they eventually exploded into one of the most high-profile legal battles in the history of the drinks industry.
The legal troubles began in October 2021, when Jay-Z and entrepreneur looked for a buyout over concerns that the Bacardi subsidiary overseeing D’USSÉ’s day-to-day operations was mismanaging the brand by not adequately preparing for a surge in demand. Carter initially attempted to exit the partnership by requesting Bacardi buy out his 50% stake for $2.5 billion; the spirits company responded with a nearly $500 million valuation for the same shares. Bacardi subsequently rejected Carter’s counter-offer of $1.5 billion for its own stake.
The gap between the two valuations was staggering — Jay-Z believed his half was worth $1.5 billion or more; Bacardi was offering as little as $460–500 million for the same stake. That disagreement kicked off months of bitter arbitration and litigation across multiple courts.
During the court fight, information came out that Jay-Z made an offer for a Bacardi buyout that valued his half of the business at $1.5 billion. Bacardi’s calculation of the mogul’s half was $460 million. The two sides could not have been further apart.
Then Jay-Z filed another lawsuit arguing there were racist members of the arbitration panel — escalating the dispute to an entirely new level of personal and legal tension. The fight was ugly, public, and damaging for both parties.
The Settlement: How Bacardi Took Control
On February 3, 2023, the legal war ended — and Bacardi emerged with the majority of the company.
The settlement, reached on Friday, February 3, 2023, states that Empire Investments must buy out Jay-Z’s stake in the Cognac company, leaving Bacardi owning at least 75.1% of the business.
Jay-Z sold his controlling stake of the D’USSÉ Cognac brand for $750 million USD. The settlement was announced in a press release and called for an affiliate to buy out Jay-Z’s 50% stake of the cognac company, leaving Bacardi owning 75.01% of the rest of the business. The rapper will still retain “a significant ownership stake” through his SCLiquor LLC company.
Jay-Z said in a public statement: “Growing D’USSÉ over the past decade from an idea to one of the fastest-selling spirits in history has been a blessing. The next phase of this journey will further cement D’USSÉ’s legacy as one of the world’s most respected brands. I am excited to renew this partnership with Bacardi.”
D’USSÉ is described as a **”multi-billion dollar brand” — and both parties clearly agreed on that, even if they could not agree on the exact number during the legal fight.
Who Is Bacardi? The Company That Now Controls D’USSÉ
Understanding who owns D’USSÉ means understanding Bacardi — the company that now holds more than three-quarters of it.
Bacardi Limited is the world’s largest privately held spirits company. It is a family-owned business headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda, founded in Santiago de Cuba in 1862 by Don Facundo Bacardí Massó. The Bacardi family has owned and operated the company for over 160 years — making it one of the most remarkable privately held family businesses in the entire world.
Bacardi’s global portfolio includes some of the most recognized names in spirits — Bacardí rum, Grey Goose vodka, Bombay Sapphire gin, Dewar’s Scotch whisky, Patron tequila, and now — as its majority-owned premium cognac — D’USSÉ.
Bacardi manages D’USSÉ’s day-to-day operations through its wholly owned subsidiary Empire Investments Inc., which was the entity named in Jay-Z’s original lawsuit. Despite the legal battle, Bacardi called Jay-Z “an invaluable partner” and expressed deep respect for his creativity and business acumen.
What Makes D’USSÉ Different From Other Cognacs?
There are four major cognac houses that dominate the global market: Hennessy, Rémy Martin, Martell, and Courvoisier. Together they account for the vast majority of global cognac sales. D’USSÉ went up against all of them and became one of the fastest-growing spirits brands in the United States — which is the world’s largest cognac market.
D’USSÉ stands out in the cognac market for its blend of tradition and modernity. The brand’s flagship expression, D’USSÉ VSOP, is aged for at least four and a half years in French oak barrels, offering a rich and complex flavor profile. D’USSÉ XO, the brand’s premium offering, is aged for a minimum of 10 years, delivering deeper, more mature notes.
The bottle design itself became iconic almost immediately — the Cross of Lorraine on the bottle represents France’s fabled emblem of courage, honor, and perseverance — an image that resonates as much in a hip-hop music video as it does in a fine dining setting. That dual appeal is exactly what Jay-Z and Bacardi designed the brand to achieve from day one.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Who owns D’USSÉ liquor in 2026?
Bacardi Limited owns at least 75.01% of D’USSÉ, with Jay-Z retaining a significant minority stake through his company SCLiquor LLC.
Q2. Did Jay-Z create D’USSÉ?
Yes. Jay-Z co-founded D’USSÉ in 2012 as a 50-50 joint venture with Bacardi, alongside cellar master Michel Casavecchia who conceived the blend.
Q3. Why did Jay-Z sell his D’USSÉ stake?
Jay-Z sued Bacardi in 2022 over claims of mismanagement and a disputed valuation — he valued his stake at $1.5 billion; Bacardi offered $500 million — leading to a 2023 settlement.
Q4. How much did Jay-Z get for selling D’USSÉ?
Jay-Z reportedly received approximately $750 million for selling the majority of his 50% stake to Bacardi in the February 2023 settlement.
Q5. Where is D’USSÉ cognac made?
D’USSÉ is produced at the Château de Cognac in Cognac, France — a historic facility with over 200 years of cognac-making heritage established in 1795.
Q6. What are the D’USSÉ cognac products available?
D’USSÉ offers two expressions — D’USSÉ VSOP (aged at least 4.5 years, priced around $55–65) and D’USSÉ XO (aged 10+ years, priced around $220–250).
Q7. Is D’USSÉ part of Bacardi’s brand portfolio?
Yes. D’USSÉ is now a majority-owned brand within Bacardi Limited’s global spirits portfolio, which also includes Grey Goose, Bombay Sapphire, Patron, and Dewar’s.
Q8. Does Jay-Z still have a role in D’USSÉ after the sale? Yes. Despite selling the majority of his stake, Jay-Z retained a minority ownership position and continues to provide creative input on branding and marketing for D’USSÉ.