Daniel Kretinsky, the Czech billionaire who owns Royal Mail, is poised to become West Ham United's largest shareholder after striking an agreement that will see his stake in the club rise to 46 percent. The arrangement, reached with the club's other major shareholders including former chairman David Sullivan, marks a significant shift in the Hammers' ownership structure and appears to have closed the door on a rival bid from former Newcastle United director Amanda Staveley.
The deal centers on the 25 percent stake previously held by the Gold family. Co-chair Vanessa Gold had initially agreed to sell part of her shares to Kretinsky following allegations made against Sullivan in a joint investigation by BBC Panorama and The Times. However, she later announced she would instead sell her entire holding to Staveley, a move that set off a chain of contractual obligations within the club.
That announcement activated a pre-emption clause in West Ham's shareholder agreement, granting existing directors the right of first refusal on any major sale of shares. According to reports, this mechanism was triggered before the relevant deadline passed, paving the way for Kretinsky to acquire a substantial portion of Sullivan's holding rather than Staveley completing her proposed purchase.
As part of the restructuring, Sullivan's own stake will actually grow, rising from his current 38.8 percent to 40 percent, despite the fact that he stepped down as chairman in June. Sullivan has stated he plans to contest the allegations raised against him in the media investigation. Meanwhile, Tripp Smith, another significant investor in the club, will see his ownership increase to 11 percent, with the remaining shareholders collectively retaining 3 percent.
The restructuring effectively sidelines Staveley, who had been positioning herself for involvement at the London Stadium outfit. Her immediate ambitions of investing in the Premier League club now appear to have been thwarted by the pre-emption process.
Sullivan's position at West Ham remains under scrutiny separately from this ownership shake-up. The Independent Football Regulator confirmed that its examination into his suitability under the owners, directors and senior executives framework remains active. A statement from the regulator read: "The IFR's enquiries into the suitability of David Sullivan under our ODSE regime are active and ongoing and we are in touch with relevant authorities as part of this process." It is understood, however, that the latest ownership changes will not prompt any additional investigation from the regulator.
None of the parties involved—Kretinsky, Gold, Sullivan or West Ham itself—have issued any public comment on the developments so far. The silence leaves several questions unanswered, including what role Kretinsky might play at the club going forward and whether this consolidation of control signals broader changes to come at West Ham.
The move represents a notable escalation of Kretinsky's involvement in English football. Having already built interests in the sport through other ventures, his emergence as the single biggest shareholder at West Ham positions him as a central figure in the club's future direction, even as uncertainty continues to surround Sullivan's long-term status amid the ongoing regulatory review.
With the pre-emption rights dispute apparently resolved in Kretinsky's favor, attention now turns to how the new ownership balance will affect decision-making at boardroom level, and whether Staveley might seek other opportunities to invest in English football following this setback.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.