Monster success for Joburg lawyer turned drinks tycoon

From the bustling streets of Johannesburg to the boardrooms of Los Angeles, Rodney Sacks’ journey is one of extraordinary vision, perseverance, and global influence. As chairperson and chief executive of Monster Beverage Corporation, Sacks transformed a small energy drink company into one of the world’s most iconic brands, a testament to his strategic brilliance and entrepreneurial spirit. 

Yet, beyond the global success story lies a proud South African and a deeply committed member of the Jewish community. In honour of a lifetime marked by leadership, integrity, and inspiration, Rodney Sacks is celebrated this year with one of the two Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Investec Jewish Achiever Awards. 

Born and raised in Johannesburg, Sacks earned his law degree from the University of the Witwatersrand and quickly distinguished himself as one of South Africa’s youngest senior partners at Werksmans Attorneys. 

“I started my career as an audit clerk at Werkmans when I was 18 years old,” he says, “On my first day, Natie Werksman told me that despite having the smartest lawyers and smartest agreements, the deals you do or your client does with the parties they’re transacting with are only going to be as good as the integrity of the other party. And they’re going to find a way to get out of any deal if they really want to. When you look at advising your clients, you need to assess the integrity of the other party. That’s going to be one of the most important things. It resonated with me my whole life.” 

In 1989, he and business partner Hilton Schlosberg took a bold leap, relocating to the United States, where Sacks joined his late younger brother’s renowned art dealership, Leslie Sacks. 

“I looked at the country and the future, and I didn’t know where things were going to end up,” he said. “I looked at my own position as a lawyer, and said, if I really want to do something for the family that will endure for generations, I will have a better shot if I am in another country, and decided on the US. It was just before I turned 40, and I thought that unless I did it then, I wouldn’t have a chance to start a new career.” 

Together, they acquired Hansen Natural Corporation, a small juice company that had gone through bankruptcy and had one brand and 12 employees. They soon realised that expanding into major grocery stores was costly due to slotting fees, so they shifted focus to beverages that could be sold through the convenience channel – small mom-and-pop and liquor stores. This pivot led to the development and launch of a smoothie line. 

It was actually on a trip back to South Africa and to the United Kingdom that Sacks got the idea to launch an energy drink line, as he saw the emerging popularity of energy drinks. Initially, it launched under the Hansen name as he felt there wasn’t enough money to market two separate brands. 

“We started to have internal conflicts between our marketing departments because they were trying to give different messages to consumers,” he said. “We soon realised that we really had to have a separate brand if we were going to succeed and appeal to younger male consumers and not in any way alienate the moms and kids we were trying to market the Hansen brand to, and that prompted us to develop a separate brand.” 

That’s when Sacks and Schlosberg developed the Monster Energy Brand in 2002 with the idea that it would be something not yet seen on the market. 

“It was different from everything else. Everything else was in a slim eight-ounce [236.5ml] can, so we decided we were going to create a brand for the blue-collar male,” Sacks said. “We wanted it bigger, better, and more powerful. We really were selling an image, and the only way we could do that and still give value was to give a bigger product, but for the same price. So we designed a 16-ounce black can.” 

Sacks wanted Monster to stand out. Its black can and green emblem quickly became instantly recognisable. 

Monster Energy launched in April 2002 with a single flavour.  Today , the Monster brand now accounts for more than 90% of the company’s total business. 

In 2015, Coca-Cola bought a stake in Monster and transferred its energy drink brands to the company, creating a powerful partnership. Monster gained global distribution support, while Coca-Cola strengthened its presence in the booming energy drink market. 

Monster started with 12 employees, with Sacks as the 13th. Today, the company has grown substantially, with more than 6 500 employees worldwide. Monster products are sold in more than 140 countries, and including all other brands, the company reaches 159 countries and territories. In South Africa alone, Monster offers four energy drink brands: the original brand acquired from Coca-Cola; Burn (a European import); Monster; and Predator, its affordable line. 

In June 2025, Sacks stepped down as chief executive of Monster Energy as he felt it was time for younger talent to step up and he wanted to set his sights on innovation. 

“Innovation and developing new products and packages is probably the fun part of the business I’ve enjoyed all my life. I’ve been involved in that throughout, so I’m continuing to do that. I also continue to be involved in marketing and directing the brand and its positioning, and that of other brands, and that enables me to do both,” he says. 

Sacks said the guiding principles he has followed throughout this career are integrity, honesty, and maintaining close relationships. 

“We all face obstacles in life, but we can achieve our goals if we persevere,” he said. “Stay strong, keep your values and integrity – that’s what truly matters. Success doesn’t come overnight; it takes hard work and focus. Take life one day at a time, stick with it, and you’ll have a real chance at success.”