West Ham name new majority owner in statement after David Sullivan allegations

West Ham name new majority owner in statement after David Sullivan allegations David Sullivan stepped down from his role as West Ham co-chair last Saturday after being informed that the BBC were set to publish a series of historical allegations Daniel Kretinsky will become West Ham’s majority shareholder in the wake of historic allegations against David Sullivan. Earlier this week, a BBC Panorama investigation alleged that Mr Sullivan had preyed on women for sex. He has strenuously denied the allegations and said he will be launching legal action against the BBC. Seven women have accused the billionaire of abusing his power and preying on them, in some cases when they were in their late teens. Before the allegations were made public, West Ham confirmed that Sullivan had stepped down from his role as co-chair and director, but still retains his stake in the recently relegated club. However, Royal Mail owner Kretinsky is now set to increase his share in the club from 27 to 43 per cent. He will do so by purchasing a stake from Vanessa Gold, the daughter of Sullivan’s late business partner David Gold. A joint statement released by Gold and Kretinsky has confirmed the arrangement which should be ratified in the coming weeks. The statement reads: “We were deeply concerned by the revelations made by The Times and Panorama this week and our thoughts go out to those women who have fought so hard to make their voices heard. Any abuse of power is abhorrent, and it takes great courage and determination to speak up against it.. “The full West Ham United Board was not notified about these allegations against David Sullivan until approximately a month ago, when he informed us that certain allegations against him may be published. However, the full details of the allegations, which Mr Sullivan denies, only became apparent when they were made public on Monday (8 June). In addition, as communicated by West Ham United, the Board representatives of Shareholders other than Mr Sullvan were only made aware this week of the safeguarding measures that have been in place since 2023. “As Shareholders and Directors of West Ham, our focus is now firmly on protecting the future of this Football Club. Our goal is to stabilise West Ham United, retain as many of our key players as possible and, under the management of Nuno Espírito Santo, secure an immediate return to the Premier League. We are also committed to engaging with our fans and all business partners to build a stronger future for our Club. We have already taken concrete steps toward this goal. “As such, we have reached agreement on the key terms of a share purchase transaction between the Gold family and 1890 Holdings, which, subject to other Shareholders’ pre-emption rights and necessary approvals, would make 1890 Holdings (part of the broader group EP) the largest Shareholder in West Ham with an approximately 43% stake. As the largest Shareholder, group EP will be able to provide the additional financing the Club needs. “We expect to finalise this transaction in the next couple of weeks. Once the agreement is complete, group EP and the Gold family have also agreed to vote jointly on key matters and to support the strategy targeting an immediate return to the Premier League. “Alongside Daniel Křetínský and Vanessa Gold, the other Shareholders, namely Tripp Smith, Daniel Harris and Terry Brown, are fully aligned on this strategy and stabilising the Club. “We are taking these steps because West Ham United needs to be truly united at this moment in its history. We believe that a strong coalition – of fans, players, management and the Board – is essential to securing the bright future this Club deserves. We are absolutely committed to playing our part.”