Founders William Benson and Patrick Ductant continue to ride the road of success through their luxury products that aim to be inclusive to an all-encompassing lifestyle. Former banking investor Benson sought this endeavor with Ductant and has dedicated his time to the success of this luxury brand. Ductant came into the picture after meeting Benson in 2012, leading them to start their company six years later.
Through their dedication, Billionaires Row has been recognized as one of the only black luxury brands that is acknowledged by the federal government in both the US and France. This huge honor has only been extended to Jay-Z with his Ace of Spades luxury champagne, highlighting Billionaires Row as the only other black-owned luxury champagne company. Benson and Ductant’s champagne certification is enjoyed by celebrities such as Mark Zuckerberg and the Kardashians.
Billionaires Row began with the release of Champagne Brut Rosé as a way to break into an industry that lacked diversity in owners of high-end spirits. The “elegant red fruit flavors” have a taste of “almond and cocoa.” The drink is notably paired with grilled meats and summer parties, and even receives notes on how to serve guests – at 10℃.
After perfecting their champagne, Billionaires Row expanded its alcohol line through Cuvée XO Cognac, described as “sweet and smooth, delicate and complex, perfectly balanced, with fruit and spicy scents.” Like Brut Rosé, Billionaires Row offers recipes and advice on how and when someone should enjoy the drink, giving guidelines to a luxurious moment in one’s home.
Billionaires Row has continued to expand with its current focus: alkaline water. This new endeavor has come to fruition in sales, given that the water has a PH balance of 8.0+.
Benson notes that it’s not just about creating these drinks to be successful. Rather, his goal of “creating a message to the masses, to the consumers on how to live, how to consume, how to celebrate through the lifestyle, through what we curate.”
A core reason that brought Benson into the industry was the lack of black imagery in correlation to who deserves to be luxurious. Facing the social world as two black men, Benson and Ductant’s battle of success often coincides with the image of black excellence, which causes black individuals to feel they need to sacrifice themselves to succeed. Instead, Benson and Ductant’s success has been out of respect and acknowledgment of the community surrounding them.
For Ductant, success means “that the end goal should not just be success; the end goal is how do we empower others to be great? So when you talk of success, success is just not, and it shouldn’t be the goal for any entrepreneur, for any company. It should be: how do we inspire the world and make the world a better place?”
This belief of success served as the driving factor for both Ductant and Benson to pursue their luxury brand goals, by not only creating a new brand but attacking new markets to expand their brand to what they describe as a ‘credit-less society.’
Through this new market that flips the current cashless society, they were able to connect with audiences that had cash on hand, creating exclusivity while marketing to separate their brand from other high-end markets.
While the pushback from COVID-19 has forced many companies to close down, Billionaires Row has been able to expand even further, reshaping the company from what it once was. “It was the best thing,” Ductant shares. “Because it allowed us to go ahead and re-focus on who we are as a company.”
The brand’s continued growth is an example of having success and respect for those encouraged to reach their goals. Who knows, this may be just the beginning of an empire of even more success.
