Daniel Kretinsky has become West Ham United’s largest shareholder after agreeing to raise his holding in the Championship club, bringing Amanda Staveley’s proposed investment to an effective end.
Ownership change at West Ham
- Vanessa Gold, whose father David Gold was a former West Ham chairman, agreed last month to sell the family’s shares to a consortium headed by Staveley and other investors. That arrangement followed the collapse of an earlier deal that would have transferred the holding to Kretinsky.
- Kretinsky, the owner of Royal Mail, has now reached an agreement with West Ham’s other shareholders, including former chairman David Sullivan, concerning the Gold family’s stake. The transaction lifts his shareholding to 46 per cent.
- Through his company 1890s Holdings, Kretinsky has acquired enough shares to become the club’s sole largest shareholder, West Ham confirmed in a statement.
- Vanessa Gold said she was pleased that the shareholders had settled on an arrangement that formally established Kretinsky as the leading investor. Sullivan’s own holding will rise to 40 per cent.
Gold outlines next steps
Gold said Kretinsky would take a more hands-on part in the club’s decision-making, while the agreement would give supporters greater certainty about West Ham’s direction. The London club were relegated from the Premier League last season after spending 13 consecutive campaigns in the top division.
She said her objective throughout the negotiations had been to secure suitable leadership and help West Ham fulfil its potential before returning to what she described as its proper place in the Premier League.
Gold added that the deal, first set out in June, should provide the stability needed for the club and its football management to concentrate on the current season.
She will retain a small shareholding and thanked Staveley and her partners for taking part in the process. Staveley previously owned a minority stake in Newcastle United from 2021 until 2024.
