William Benson and Patrick Ductant, best known as the leaders of Billionaires Row, are the iconic duo behind the brand’s highly successful Rosé Champagne and Cognac XO.
While Benson is behind the inception of Billionaires Row, the brand would not have been the same without his partner, Ductant. These two Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) have pushed Billionaires Row to flourish as a globally recognized brand in 2021.
Black-owned, international and luxurious, Billionaires Row develops and designs products for the affluent and elite. Benson and Ductant’s aim of marking grandeur to the affluent is accompanied by their broader intent of bringing together the brightest minds of our time to share experiences and connect.
“When I think of our customers, I think of aspirational influencers and optimistic, distinguished, and polished individuals,” Benson elaborates.
Though, Billionaires Row’s Rosé Champagne and Cognac XO have become synonymous with the brand itself. Benson describes this choice of merchandise by detailing, “I chose alcohol because it makes you feel opulent. Spirits [alcohol] have been used throughout history as a means to fellowship and reward.” This sense of fellowship meeting indulgence is a feeling Benson reflects on endearingly.
With the Rosé Champagne and Cognac XO, Benson and Ductant have successfully reinvented the top-shelf spirit industry. This exceptional company profoundly impacts the global market; most recently, Billionaire’s Row became the only African American-owned champagne company globally after Jay-Z sold 50% of Ace of Spades.
Billionaires Row is truly a league apart from other industry brands, though the duo didn’t fall into the lap of luxury overnight. Through careful design and dedication to their craft, this team of innovators has created a brand, an experience that is redefining their industry.
When asked about how he devised such an innovative brand, Benson revealed, “Simple: it wasn’t designed to be luxury, it was designed to be a new definition of luxury that redefines the mold.”
To reach the social status they currently hold, Billionaires Row became masters of social media marketing. On Instagram, Benson has amassed nearly 11,000 followers; Ductant has over 30,000 followers; Billionaires Row has a cult following of over 50,000 followers.
Benson shares some insight into why and how they executed this: “Social media has helped our brand tremendously. Social media is a global platform that connects the world faster than ever before, which gives us the opportunity to disseminate the message and aura of Billionaires Row directly to the people.”
Social media allows people to get to know the brand on a profoundly personal level and feel involved with the company in the way someone would be involved with a friend. It also provides elevated transparency, so the public is able to see all the brand accomplishes outside of stunning bottles at their favorite bar.
Founded with splendor, driven by creativity and hard work, Benson and Ductant are redefining what it means to be creators of refinement. “Luxury starts from the inside, and to produce a brand the product must be authentic to the essence of the creator so that the product represents a piece of him to inspire the world.”