Move over, George Clooney and Ryan Reynolds! Miles Teller is officially the latest A-lister to strike liquid gold. While many Hollywood stars launch brands that quietly disappear from shelves, the “Top Gun: Maverick” lead just proved he has the golden touch in the business world, too.
Earlier this week, The Long Drink Company—the Finnish-inspired canned cocktail brand Teller famously backed—sold to the Mark Anthony Group of Companies (the masterminds behind White Claw) for a reported $ million. The news has sent shockwaves through social media, with fans and industry insiders alike marveling at the massive payout.
Despite the life-changing numbers, Teller is making one thing very clear to his fans: he is not walking away from the big screen. “All I’ll say is that I’m not retiring from acting anytime soon,” Teller shared in a candid new interview.
Why Miles Teller Succeeded Where Other Stars Failed
The “celebrity booze brand” has become a bit of a punchline in recent years. For every success story, there are dozens of “copycats” that fail to launch. High-profile ventures like Drake’s whiskey, Justin Timberlake’s tequila, and Channing Tatum’s vodka all emerged with major hype only to eventually lose steam.
So, why was Teller different? Unlike stars who simply sign a contract at a talent agency meeting, Teller actually discovered Long Drink himself at a local New York liquor store. He didn’t just lend his face to the brand; he became “the pig” in a world of chickens.
“The analogy I’m going to give you is when you’re having breakfast, say you have bacon and eggs,” Teller explained. “The chicken is involved, the pig is committed. You gotta be the pig.”
And committed he was. Fans on TikTok and X have long shared sightings of the actor hopping behind busy bars at college campuses in Ann Arbor and Bloomington to hand out drinks. He even wrote comedy copy for commercials featuring an animatronic bear and injected his own capital to fund the brand’s national expansion.
The No-Instagram Strategy
In perhaps the most surprising twist of the $ million deal, Teller achieved this massive success without the help of a personal Instagram or TikTok account. In an era where agents tell actors they won’t get deals without a massive social media following, Teller’s “anti-influencer” approach is going viral.
“I don’t have Instagram, I’m not on TikTok… and this just really disproves that [you need them],” Teller said. “I think consumers can really sniff out bullshit. And they can tell when a celebrity is really just trying to get in and out to make a buck.”
Instead of posting selfies, Teller focused on word-of-mouth. The results speak for themselves: the brand sold a staggering million cans in a -month period. For those hoping for a glimpse into his personal life, don’t hold your breath. He jokes that if he did join, “it would just be pictures of my dog, anyhow.”
What Is Next for the Star?
While he is “feeling very proud” of the acquisition, Teller views this as a partnership rather than a final exit. He plans to stay involved as the brand scales even larger under the Mark Anthony Group umbrella.
As for his acting career, the payout is giving him the confidence to trust his instincts even more. Fans can catch him next in a supporting role in the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, “Michael,” hitting theaters on April .
“I’ve gravitated toward underdog stories,” Teller says of his future projects. With $ million in the mix, it’s safe to say Miles Teller isn’t the underdog anymore—but he’s certainly still working like one.
Statistically, the celebrity brand market is a tough nut to crack. Recent industry reports suggest that fewer than % of people who start companies end up selling for a significant profit. In the spirits sector specifically, over % of new celebrity-backed ventures fail to reach their third anniversary. Teller’s achievement puts him in an extremely rare bracket of success, proving that for this actor, the “American Dream” tastes a lot like gin and grapefruit.
