3D Energy Drink owner Christian Guzman has opened up about the legal battle that almost saw him liquidate the brand.
This week, the founder of Alphalete and Alphaland announced 3D is making a grand return this summer, with up to eight flavors set to hit the market in late May.
The all-new 3D will feature reworked versions of original fan favorites, as well as brand-new, unseen flavors.
But what happened to the original 3D, and what led to it nearly disappearing completely?
Who Is The 3D Energy Drink Owner, And How Did It Turn Sour?
Known as the “White Monster Guy”, Christian would rarely be seen in his early videos without an energy drink in hand.
But after noticing bloating once he polished off a can, the YouTuber decided to create an energy drink of his own, focused on minimal branding and smoother digestion.
In 2016, Up Energy was born. However, the brand was immediately sued by Uptime and lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process.
So, in 2018, Up Energy became the brand we now know today: 3D.
While all this was happening, Christian struck a deal with two business partners who specialized in shipping heavy goods cross-country.
This meant Christian wasn’t the only 3D Energy Drink owner. The duo, who each owned 20% equity, were involved with Bite Meals at the time and offered logistical expertise to help put 3D into the hands of fans across America.
Good times followed, and 3D Energy rapidly expanded into Canada, before gaining traction in the UK and across mainland Europe.
Business was booming and the relationship was fruitful — until things started to get messy.
Christian’s partners also owned the supplement brand Alani Nu and were in the process of forming what’s now Congo Brands.
Around the same time in 2020, GHOST dropped its own energy drink — a brand Christian had been signed to as a sponsored athlete since 2015.
As the joint 3D Energy Drink owner, his partners saw a conflict of interest and urged him to sever ties with GHOST, which Christian wasn’t prepared to do.
The Houston-born star felt his affiliation with GHOST’s supplement side had nothing to do with the launch of their energy drink, a separate entity.
Speaking in December 2024, Christian said: “This is when the back end of 3D started to fall apart.
“Relationships with distributors, grocery stores, gas stations — they all started to dwindle.
“Which ultimately made it harder for you guys to know where to find 3D, and you may have even noticed it start disappearing from the shelves.
“My relationship with the partners went from great to nonexistent.”
The PRIME Problem
The water was further muddied when Congo Brands helped internet stars KSI and Logan Paul launch PRIME, which later came out with its own energy drink.
“I was p*ssed,” Christian added.
“Not only did my partners start a directly competing energy drink without talking to me about it, but I couldn’t help but feel like the PRIME Energy product contained so much of 3D’s DNA.
“To me, this was the final nail in the coffin for 3D.”
The Legal Battle: What Happened?
While there wasn’t an official lawsuit as such, lawyers were involved for the best part of two years.
They came up with three possible outcomes:
1) Sell 3D Energy and split the proceeds according to their shares.
2) Liquidate 3D entirely.
3) Christian become the sole 3D Energy Drink owner, with Congo Brands supporting him in whatever he wants to do for the nine months that followed.
Option three was the one they eventually settled on, and for the first time ever, Christian became the only 3D Energy drink owner.
Reflecting on the journey in his most recent vlog, Christian said: “I’ve literally just been thinking about how much 3D was stressing me out every single day.
“I wasn’t able to make progress. I had everybody asking me what’s happening with 3D for like three years.
“My original partner relationship just completely fell through, PRIME was out there, everything just felt so frustrating.
“I felt so helpless and not in control of my own business — something that was attached to my name.
“Like, our distributor relationships were getting messed up. I’m really not trying to go in and start talking about the past, but just know it was a lot of time that went by wanting to make movement and feeling like things weren’t right.
“Feelings I’d never felt before. I’d never had partners. I’d never done anything in business with anybody. It had always just been me, and all of a sudden I’m in this multiple-year period where I feel like I can’t be the man I am.
“To be bold and tell everyone what’s happening, be open and transparent. I felt like I had my hands tied, and I can’t say sh*t.”
On the Brink of Liquidation
Despite being on the verge of a mammoth relaunch, 3D Energy Drink owner Christian revealed just how close he came to liquidating the business while in the throes of the so-called lawsuit.
“It was a real option,” he added.
“Coming out on YouTube and saying, ‘Look guys, the brand didn’t work out. The partner relationship fell through, it’s done.
“We’re going to focus on Alphalete and Alphaland, so we’re shutting.’
“That was a very, very real scenario that could have played out, and I was honestly considering it.
“Or, do I say screw liquidating, let’s get equity back, let’s mend all the broken relationships with distributors, and put all the love that’s needed back into the brand again.”
3D Energy Drink Owner: A New Dawn
Christian wasn’t the sole of 3D Energy Drink owner for long. Once he’d regained control of the business, he struck a deal with Dom Iacovone, bodybuilding legend Chris Bumstead, and Matt Thompson from Raw Nutrition to help take 3D to new heights.
“Luckily, I was able to find the support I needed, and with people who have been giving 100% with the brand…
“I’m so f*cking happy I didn’t liquidate. All these different scenarios, all this thought and stress, and years went into what became today a solidified ‘we’re good to go.’
“We’re ready to rock. There are no more ifs. We’re executing, we’re coming back this summer. It’s happening, and it’s been a long time coming.”
READ MORE: Christian Guzman’s 3D Energy Set for Major Comeback With Up to Eight New Flavors
