Rockstar Energy founder builds Celsius stake, wants to take over as CEO

Cnbc · Aug 07, 2026 · 777 words · By Robert Frank

Activist Investing Energy Drink Market Competition Corporate Governance Conflict

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What to know about Activist Investing

The billionaire founder of Rockstar Energy has purchased millions of shares of Celsius Holdings and is calling for the ouster of that company's CEO after its earnings miss this week.

Claims checked 14

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center83%

Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

The billionaire founder of Rockstar Energy has purchased millions of shares of Celsius Holdings and is calling for the ouster of that company's CEO after its earnings miss this week.

Why it matters

Russ Savage now controls more than 12 million shares of Celsius, he told CNBC.

Common ground

Celsius markets its energy drinks to athletes and health-conscious consumers and has exploded in popularity in recent years.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Activist Investing story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Savage, who was born Russell Weiner and started Rockstar with a $50,000 mortgage against his California condo?
How does this story connect Activist Investing with Energy Drink Market Competition over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/07/rockstar-energy-founder-celsius-stake-ceo.html

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 14 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6

schedule Pending 4

help Insufficient Evidence 2

info Single Source 2

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Claim 1: “Savage, who was born Russell Weiner and started Rockstar with a $50,000 mortgage against his California condo”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 2: “Celsius stock now trades at almost out $28 per share”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 3: “and of the Rockstar brand in the U.S. and Canada, which it acquired from Pepsi also last year as part of a long-term strategic partnership”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the search results to support the claim that Celsius acquired the Rockstar brand from PepsiCo.

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Claim 4: “the company sells 1 out of every 5 energy drinks in the U.S.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 5: “He started acquiring his most recent stake in March, when the stock fell to the low $30 range”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 6: “Russ Savage now controls more than 12 million shares of Celsius”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web sources (CNBC via reports, LinkedIn, and other news summaries) confirm that Russ Savage owns more than 12 million shares of Celsius.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Rockstar Energy (stylized as ROCKST☆R or ЯR) is a brand of energy drinks created in 2001. It had a 10% market share of the global energy drink market in 2020, the third-highest after Red Bull and Mons…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockstar_Energy

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web search NEUTRAL — Savage said he has owned Celsius shares on and off for more than two years. He began acquiring his latest stake in March when the stock fell to the low $30 range, betting it was undervalued and poised…
https://www.whatjobs.com/news/rockstar-founder-russ-savage-b…

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web search NEUTRAL — Savage told CNBC Friday that he owns more than 12 million Celsius shares, or roughly 4.7 percent of the company, and wants chairman and CEO John Fieldly, along with the company’s COO, brand manager an…
https://www.inc.com/georgia-fearn/rockstar-founder-russ-sava…

+ 1 more evidence source

info

Claim 7: “the company was managing the integration of Alani Nu, which it acquired last year for $1.8 billion”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of general Wikipedia entries about the Celsius temperature scale and the company, but contains no mention of an acquisition of Alani Nu for $1.8 billion.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The degree Celsius is the unit of temperature on the Celsius temperature scale[1] (originally known as the centigrade scale in English), [2] one of two temperature scales used in the International Sys…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celsius

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Celsius (more precisely, a degree Celsius), sometimes called centigrade, is a unit of measurement that is used in most countries to measure temperature. The unit was created by Anders Celsius (1701–17…
https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celsius

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Celsius Holdings, Inc. is an American company that produces a range of fitness and energy drinks under the brand name Celsius. The company's products are marketed as healthy, to which the CEO attribut…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celsius_Holdings

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Claim 8: “Savage founded Rockstar in 2001 and sold it to PepsiCo in 2020 for a final purchase price of more than $4 billion”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm Russ Savage (also referred to as Russell Weiner in some contexts) founded Rockstar in 2001 and sold it to PepsiCo in 2020 for over $4 billion.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Rockstar San Diego, Inc. (formerly Angel Studios, Inc.) is an American video game developer and a studio of Rockstar Games based in Carlsbad, California. The studio is best known for developing the Mi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockstar_San_Diego

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Russell Goldencloud Weiner (born February 15, 1970) is an American billionaire businessman and political fundraiser who is the founder of Rockstar Energy. As of January 2025, his net worth is estimate…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Weiner

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 9: “net income attributable to common shareholders fell by more than half compared to last year's second quarter”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific claim that net income fell by more than half compared to last year's second quarter is explicitly mentioned in one source (RocketNews), while other financial data provided is for different periods or general trends.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Net income attributable to common shareholders declined by more than half compared to the prior year’s second quarter. CEO John Fieldly attributed the shortfall to a product rationalization program an…
https://rocketnews.com/2026/08/rockstar-energy-founder-build…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Industry. More about Celsius Holdings, Inc. Common Stock.Net Income Avi to Common (ttm). 65.34M. Diluted EPS (ttm).
https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/CELH/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Net Income: $34.4 million attributable to common shareholders, or $0.15 diluted EPS (Adjusted EPS $0.18 vs. $0.27 last year).While tariffs and input costs remain watch points, Celsius reaffirmed its 5…
https://www.alphasumer.com/post/celsius-holdings-earnings-so…

help

Claim 10: “Pepsi continues to own the Rockstar brand internationally”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the search results regarding PepsiCo's current international ownership status of the Rockstar brand.

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Claim 11: “Celsius shares plunged 18% on Thursday after the company's second-quarter earnings missed analyst expectations”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources report a significant plunge in Celsius shares (cited as 17% or 18%) following a Q2 earnings miss.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010), is a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States ruling that certain campaign finance restrictions are inconsistent…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_v._FEC

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Weekly with Charlie Pickering is an Australian news satire series on the ABC. The series premiered on 22 April 2015, and Charlie Pickering as host with Tom Gleeson, Adam Briggs, Kitty Flanagan (20…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Weekly_with_Charli…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — SLB, formerly known as Schlumberger (French: [ʃlumbɛʁʒe, ʃlœ̃b-]), is a multinational oilfield services company. Founded in France in 1926, the company is now incorporated as SLB N.V. in Willemstad, C…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SLB

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 12: “Savage's stake in Celsius amounts to roughly 4.7% of the company”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources confirm that Russ Savage's stake in Celsius is approximately 4.7%.

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web search NEUTRAL — Discover Russ Tour for exclusive content, merchandise, and event updates.
https://www.russworld.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Russell James Vitale (born September 26, 1992), known mononymously as Russ, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, author, and actor. [3][4][5] Along with his solo career, he is a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russ_(rapper)

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 13: “coming in at 36 cents per share versus the 43 cents expected by Wall Street, according to LSEG”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the reported earnings of 36 cents per share against an analyst expectation of 43 cents.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Celsius reported second-quarter earnings of 36 cents per share against analyst expectations of 43 cents, while revenue of $817.9 million fell short of the anticipated $870 million.
https://rocketnews.com/2026/08/rockstar-energy-founder-build…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Adjusted diluted earnings per share of 36 cents also missed the consensus analyst estimate.Celsius Holdings shares recovered to around $27 on Friday, bouncing off Thursday's close after CNBC published…
https://qz.com/rockstar-energy-founder-celsius-holdings-ceo-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — This missed analysts’ expectations for earnings of 87 cents per share on revenue of $6.29 billion, per LSEG. Sprouts Farmers Market — Shares slipped 2% despite the organic supermarket chain posting a …
https://londonwallet.co.uk/stocks-making-the-biggest-moves-a…

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Claim 14: “Revenue of $817.9 million fell below the $870 million expected”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the revenue of $817.9 million and that it fell below expectations (cited as $870 million or $872.6 million).

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Revenue increased 11% to $817.9 million but missed the $872.6 million estimate, with North American sales of $790.7 million also falling short. Profitability deteriorated despite sales growth.
https://www.mixedtimes.com/business/celsius-shares-crash-as-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Revenue: $817.9 Million (Missed expectations of ~$870M).Savage, who sold Rockstar Energy to PepsiCo for $3.85 billion in 2020, told CNBC he has quietly amassed a ~4.7% stake (over 12 million shares) i…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAtJL3C4i7o

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Russ Savage, the founder of Rockstar Energy, has built a stake of more than 12 million shares in Celsius Holdings and is calling for the removal of its chief executive after the energy drink company r…
https://qz.com/rockstar-energy-founder-celsius-holdings-ceo-…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.