Křetínský becomes top shareholder of West Ham United at 46%

Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský is significantly deepening his presence in English football: he has agreed to increase his stake in London club West Ham United from the current 27% to 46%. That will make the businessman the club's largest shareholder, as West Ham fights to return to the top flight after relegation from the Premier League.

Křetínský's investment vehicle 1890s Holdings will buy part of the shares previously held by the family of the club's late co-owner David Gold. The news was first reported by Britain's The Times, and later confirmed by Křetínský himself to e15. West Ham has also taken note of the deal — according to the BBC, all the formalities should be completed within a month.

“It's a great honour for me to have the opportunity to become the largest shareholder of this wonderful club. I'm aware of the responsibility that comes with it, and I don't take it lightly,” Křetínský said.

After the deal, the previous largest shareholder, David Sullivan, with his 40% stake, will drop to second place. American investor Tripp Smith will increase his stake from 8% to 11%, while the remaining shareholders together will hold three percent of the club. Although Křetínský will not have a controlling stake, as the largest single owner he will gain significantly greater influence over the club's future. The businessman did not disclose the value of the deal.

A months-long battle for the club

The agreement caps off several months of unexpected twists. Back in June, Křetínský reached a deal with Vanessa Gold that was meant to raise his stake to roughly 43 percent. Later, however, Gold announced a preliminary sale of the entire family stake to a consortium led by British investor Amanda Staveley and her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi — the same pair behind the Saudi state investment fund-backed takeover of Newcastle United. According to earlier reports, the Staveley group had offered £150 million for a quarter of the stake in West Ham.

However, the preliminary agreement triggered a right of first refusal for existing shareholders. Křetínský, Sullivan and Smith exercised that right and split most of the stake among themselves, effectively shutting Staveley out of the club's leadership — just days before the deal was announced, she had watched West Ham beat Wolverhampton from the stadium itself.

The club needs stability and money

The change in ownership structure comes at a difficult moment: after last season West Ham was relegated from the Premier League and is now playing in England's second-tier division. The leadership's priority is a swift return to the top flight, important not only for sporting reasons but also because of the far higher television revenue that comes with it. Uncertainty around the ownership structure also affected the summer transfer window — according to the BBC, this drew criticism from part of the club's leadership, since the team needed reinforcements to fight for promotion.

“I want to thank all the current shareholders for their constructive efforts, which made it possible to reach this outcome and give the club the confidence it needs at this critical moment,” Křetínský added.

The Czech entrepreneur first bought into West Ham in November 2021, acquiring a 27% stake through 1890s Holdings — an investment valued at the time at around 5.5 billion crowns. Besides the London club, Křetínský has also long controlled Prague's Sparta. West Ham said it would not disclose further details until the deal is finally completed.