Update (October 2026): Bang didn’t die, but it did change hands. Monster agreed to buy Bang’s assets in June 2023 and closed the deal on July 31, 2023 for about $362 million, the outcome I said below was unlikely. Bang cans are still on shelves under Monster ownership.
A quick history lesson
Bang Energy, a brand we’ve covered extensively on this site, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on October 10, 2022. Its parent company, Vital Pharmaceuticals (VPX), pointed to a pile of problems: lawsuits, shrinking market share, and a distribution deal gone wrong.
Jack Owoc, pictured above, founded VPX in 1993 and launched Bang in 2012. High caffeine, wild flavors, and loud influencer marketing turned it into a major player almost overnight.
In April 2020, Bang signed an exclusive distribution deal with PepsiCo. It fell apart within months. VPX tried to terminate it that November, an arbitrator ruled that PepsiCo remained the distributor, and the two sides traded lawsuits until Bang moved off Pepsi’s trucks in 2022. Owoc went as far as claiming PepsiCo “engaged in a premeditated plan to destroy” the drink.
The bigger blow came from Monster. Monster sued Bang in 2018 over false advertising, arguing that Bang’s “Super Creatine” claims misled shoppers into thinking the drinks contained meaningful creatine. In September 2022, a jury sided with Monster and awarded $293 million. Two weeks later, VPX filed for bankruptcy. Talks with Keurig Dr Pepper about a new distribution deal that summer had already collapsed.
In early 2023, Owoc was removed as CEO.
My take
Bang is a lonely brand after the nasty breakup with PepsiCo, the failed negotiations with Keurig Dr Pepper, and the bankruptcy. I don’t think big players like Monster or Red Bull would risk their brand image by acquiring the floundering Bang/VPX IP.
Still, I think the brand has real potential to bounce back, especially in the pre-workout space. A private equity firm, or a company tied to a brand like Adrenaline Shoc, All Black Everything (ABE), or Alani Nu, could buy it and bring it back with a smarter marketing strategy. A combined pre-workout and fitness company could share distribution and target the same customers.
I’m rooting for Bang to bounce back, mostly so they keep making crazy flavors like Birthday Cake Bash for me to roast, but also because more players in this fast-growing market is better for all of us.
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BANG Birthday Cake BashBANG · 300 mg
Shark Score 21
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BANG Purple HazeBANG · 300 mg
Shark Score 86
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BANG Blue RazzBANG · 300 mg
Shark Score 80
See every Bang flavor we’ve rated in the rankings.
