What specific GDPR-related concern has arisen from James Watt's Second Best buyback bid for BrewDog?

Several former BrewDog 'equity punks' received an unsolicited email from James Watt about his buyback bid via Second Best and expressed confusion and concern about how he obtained their contact details, raising potential GDPR compliance questions; the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is now considering formal complaints about this data usage, and legal experts note key unresolved questions—including how recipients were selected and whether the email campaign complied with data protection law.

Did Tilray Brands or AlixPartners provide investor data to James Watt for his Second Best initiative?

No—according to the Guardian’s reporting, neither Tilray Brands (which now trades as BrewDog) nor AlixPartners, the administrator of BrewDog’s remaining operations, provided any investor contact information to James Watt or Second Best; Tilray explicitly stated it did not authorise, facilitate, or participate in the communications sent to former Equity for Punks investors and did not authorise the use of any acquired data for such purposes.

BrewDog Founder Faces Complaints Over Investor Data Usage in Buyback Bid

Jul 17, 2026

BrewDog founder James Watt faces UK data watchdog complaints over alleged GDPR breaches regarding investor details used in a buyback bid. Tilray Brands denies involvement in the unauthorized communications sent to former equity investors.

theguardian

2026-02-16

BrewDog Sale Plan Leaves Some 'Equity Punk' Investors Steaming

2026-07-17

BrewDog Founder Faces Complaints Over Investor Data Usage in Buyback Bid

2026-09-18

BrewDog Creditors Owed £190m Will Not Be Paid in Full, Say Administrators

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