BrewDog founder James Watt faces data privacy complaints

James Watt, the founder of BrewDog, is facing complaints to the UK data privacy watchdog after contacting former crowdfunding investors as part of a plan to buy the beer company back, according to The Guardian.

The complaints centre on emails sent to thousands of people who had previously backed BrewDog through its equity crowdfunding campaigns, often referred to by the company as equity punks. Some recipients told the newspaper they did not understand how Watt had access to their contact details, raising questions about how the data was obtained and whether the communications complied with data protection rules.

BrewDog founder James Watt and the buy back plan

The emails were sent after Watt unveiled a new venture called Second Best, through which he wants to regain control of BrewDog. In his message to investors, he reportedly offered them the same stake in Second Best that they had once held in BrewDog, but at no cost. Watt said the proposal had support from 43,000 of those investors.

The approach has drawn attention because it followed a major change in the ownership of BrewDog earlier this year. In March, the brand, intellectual property, UK breweries and 11 bars were sold to the US cannabis and drinks firm Tilray in a deal worth £33 million. That transaction left the shares of more than 200,000 crowdfunding investors worthless, ending the value of stakes that had helped finance the company’s rapid expansion.

Why the data privacy complaints matter

The complaints to the Information Commissioner reflect a broader concern about how companies and former executives handle personal information after ownership changes, investment rounds or business restructurings. In this case, the central issue is not the buy back idea itself but the mechanism used to contact former investors and whether that contact was made using data that Watt was entitled to hold.

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation, organisations must follow strict rules on collecting, storing and processing personal information. If a person believes their data has been used without proper basis or consent, they can raise the issue with the privacy regulator. That appears to be the basis of the concerns now surrounding Watt’s outreach.

The episode also underscores the unusual position of BrewDog’s early crowdfunding investors. Thousands of people bought into the company during its rise, but the later sale to Tilray meant those holdings were wiped out. Watt’s new proposal has now reopened contact with that group, but it has also triggered fresh scrutiny over privacy and data use.

What happens next

At this stage, the complaints reported by The Guardian have prompted a regulatory question rather than a formal public finding. Any next step would depend on how the UK data watchdog assesses the allegations and whether the emails were sent in line with data protection requirements.

For BrewDog and its founder, the issue adds another layer of controversy to an already complicated ownership story. What began as a surprise effort to reclaim the company has now become a question not only of corporate control, but of personal data and investor communication.