Rockstar Founder Russ Savage Buys $300 Million Stake in Celsius Holdings

Russ Savage, founder of Rockstar Energy, has acquired more than 12 million shares of energy drink maker Celsius Holdings, representing a stake of approximately 4.7% and worth about $300 million at current prices. Savage founded Rockstar in 2001 and sold the brand to PepsiCo in 2020 for $3.85 billion. He began building his Celsius position in March 2026, when the stock was trading in the low $30s range.

Celsius shares have been volatile following the release of second-quarter results this week. Net income attributable to common shareholders fell by more than half from the year-ago period. The stock dropped 18% on the day of the earnings release, then recovered to about $27 on Friday after news of Savage's stake became public.

Savage said the company is integrating the Alani Nu brand, acquired last year for $1.8 billion, along with the US and Canadian operations of the Rockstar brand purchased from PepsiCo. PepsiCo retains international ownership of the Rockstar brand. He also noted that Celsius now accounts for one in every five cans sold in the US energy drink market, and the category as a whole continues to grow.

Savage was critical of Celsius management, saying the company has too many layers of management, excessive costs, and a lack of effective accountability. He publicly expressed willingness to take over as chief executive himself, noting that while building Rockstar he personally managed sales, marketing, sponsorships, packaging, distribution, and innovation. Celsius did not immediately respond to a request for comment.