Jay-Z’s $20M Loan Becomes Central To Uncle Nearest’s $200M Financial Crisis

Farm Credit accused Uncle Nearest of hiding a $20 million loan from Jay-Z’s MarcyPen venture capital firm.

Jay-Z loaned Uncle Nearest $20 million through his venture capital firm MarcyPen, but the whiskey brand allegedly hid the transaction from its Kentucky lender, Farm Credit Mid-America.

Court filings from March 2026 reveal that founder Fawn Weaver told the bank the money came from Grant Sidney, a company she controls, when it actually originated from Jay-Z’s investment group.

Farm Credit claims the Weavers moved the funds between entities to prevent the bank from seizing the cash.

“Ms. Weaver, who exercises complete control over Uncle Nearest and Grant Sidney, moved the proceeds from Uncle Nearest to Grant Sidney to make sure that $20 million coming in could not be snatched by FCMA,” the bank stated in court documents.

The venture capital firm MarcyPen was formed in late 2024 and is owned by Jay-Z, Jay Brown, Larry Marcus, Robbie Robinson, and D’Rita Robinson. MarcyPen has since declared Uncle Nearest in default on the loan, according to the bank’s filing.

This dispute sits at the center of a larger financial crisis. Farm Credit sued Uncle Nearest in July 2025, alleging the brand owed over $108 million across multiple loans.

The bank claims the Weavers provided inaccurate barrel inventory reports that overstated values by $21 million and sold whiskey barrels to cover other obligations.

A federal judge appointed a receiver for Uncle Nearest in August 2025 after the Weavers defaulted on the loans 20 times.

The receiver and Farm Credit estimate Uncle Nearest owes nearly $200 million total and is insolvent. The Weavers dispute this assessment and want to regain control of the company.

Uncle Nearest denies the fraud allegations regarding the MarcyPen transaction.

The brand argues that all loan money went to Uncle Nearest or related vendors and that the source of the funds is irrelevant.

“No fraud by Grant Sidney has been alleged with the particularity required for a federal pleading,” the Weavers’ legal team stated.

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