Kretinsky set to become West Ham's majority shareholder after Sullivan abuse allegations

Daniel Kretinsky is set to become West Ham United’s largest shareholder after agreeing to purchase a stake from the Gold family, a move triggered by the fallout from serious historical allegations against former co-chair David Sullivan.

Kretinsky, who also owns Royal Mail, will increase his holding in the recently relegated club from 27 to 43 per cent through his vehicle 1890 Holdings, part of the broader EP group. The deal, agreed with Vanessa Gold — daughter of Sullivan’s late business partner David Gold — is subject to other shareholders’ pre-emption rights and necessary approvals, but is expected to be ratified in the coming weeks.

The transaction follows a BBC Panorama investigation, published on 8 June, in which seven women alleged that Sullivan had abused his power and preyed on them, in some cases when they were in their late teens. Sullivan has strenuously denied the allegations and announced he intends to launch legal action against the BBC. He stepped down as co-chair and director before the allegations were made public but retains his existing stake in the club.

In a joint statement, Gold and Kretinsky said the full West Ham board was not informed of the allegations until approximately a month ago, when Sullivan told directors that certain claims against him might be published. The complete details, they said, only became apparent when the story broke publicly.

“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,” the statement read. “Any abuse of power is abhorrent, and it takes great courage and determination to speak up against it.”

The pair added that board representatives of shareholders other than Sullivan were only informed this week of safeguarding measures that had reportedly been in place since 2023.

Looking ahead, Gold and Kretinsky said their priority is to stabilise the club, retain key players, and secure an immediate return to the Premier League under head coach Nuno Espírito Santo. They also committed to engaging with supporters and business partners as part of a broader effort to rebuild the club’s future.