Daniel Kretinsky, owner of Royal Mail, is poised to become West Ham's largest shareholder after agreeing a deal to take a 46% stake in the club. The Czech businessman has struck an agreement with the Hammers' remaining shareholders, including former chairman David Sullivan.
The deal encompasses the 25% of the club previously owned by the Gold family. Co-chair Vanessa Gold had initially agreed to sell her entire stake to former Newcastle director Amanda Staveley, triggering a pre-emption rights agreement at West Ham.
Existing directors exercised their first refusal rights, leading to Kretinsky agreeing to buy a significant portion of shares from Sullivan. This will increase Kretinsky's stake to 46%, while Sullivan's ownership will eventually rise from 38.8% to 40%. A third major shareholder, Tripp Smith, will see his ownership increase to 11%, with other shareholders holding 3%.
This development effectively excludes Staveley from the investment process. David Sullivan's status at West Ham is currently under review by an independent regulator, though this latest share move is not expected to trigger further examination.