Conor McGregor Settles Lawsuit With Former Friend Who Claimed Proper No. Twelve Whiskey Was His Idea

Artem Lobov (left) and Conor McGregor. (Photo: Artem Lobov/Instagram)

Conor McGregor has settled a multi-million euro High Court lawsuit tied to his Proper No. Twelve, resolving a long-running dispute with former friend and sparring partner Artem Lobov, according to RTE.

The case, which was due to begin in court and expected to last eight days, centered on Lobov’s claim that he was entitled to 5% of proceeds from the whiskey brand based on an alleged oral agreement made in Dublin in 2017. Lobov said the agreement was sealed with a handshake and witnessed by others, and that he was an initial creator and co-founder of the brand before being pushed out.

McGregor denied that any such agreement existed. However, he acknowledged previously offering Lobov $1 million in recognition of his contributions to developing a whiskey concept. Lobov declined that offer and initiated legal action in 2022.

The dispute stems from the eventual sale of Proper No. Twelve. McGregor and his partners sold their stakes in the brand to Proximo Spirits in 2021 in a deal valued at approximately $600 million. McGregor is widely reported to have earned more than €100 million ($118 million) from the transaction.

On the day the trial was set to begin, Lobov’s legal team informed the court that the matter had been settled. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

In a statement read in court, McGregor said he was satisfied with the resolution and thanked Lobov for his work on the whiskey business. Lobov declined to comment in detail but indicated he was pleased with the outcome.

The settlement brings an end to a high-profile dispute over one of the most commercially successful celebrity-backed whiskey brands in recent years.

This all started when Lobov was promoting his book in 2022. He teased that his book would cover the “Proper 12 Whiskey story,” which, according to Lobov, went as such: McGregor wanted to start an Icelandic vodka brand and came to Lobov for advice because he had a master’s degree in finance. Lobov says he encouraged McGregor to instead pursue an Irish whiskey brand, an McGregor asked him to put together a deal and come back to him. According to Lobov, that deal he put together was the genesis of Proper No. Twelve.