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Daniel Kretinsky is set to become the majority shareholder of West Ham after agreeing a deal to increase his stake in the club to approximately 43 per cent over the weekend.
In a joint statement, Vanessa Gold and Daniel Kretinsky, representing the Gold family and 1890 Holdings, stated that an agreement had been reached for 1890 Holdings to purchase the Gold family's share.
The announcement came shortly after former chairman and majority shareholder David Sullivan had resigned with immediate effect, having been made aware of the impending publication of serious historic allegations.
In a statement announcing he was stepping down as chairman of West Ham, Mr Sullivan said: “The false allegations levelled against me have been sensationalised by the media.
“I categorically deny these claims.”
Kretinsky has quietly increased his stake in West Ham over the last year and will now do so again following Sullivan’s departure.
But who is Kretinsky, and why does he seemingly want more control over a club that will be playing Championship football for the first time in 14 years next season?
Who is West Ham's Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky?
The Czech billionaire, dubbed the “Czech Sphinx” due to his low-profile approach to business, made his fortune across a number of industries, from media to coal and gas. He also became the largest stakeholder in British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s in December 2025.
Formerly a lawyer, he first came to attention in the UK after buying a 27 per cent stake in West Ham in 2021, in a deal which includes an option to buy the club outright.
Kretinsky has also been the chairman of his boyhood club, 37-time Czech champions Sparta Prague, since 2004.
Kretinsky became the first foreign owner of the British postal service, Royal Mail, in December 2024.
The 49-year-old is said to be “obsessed” with British culture, and his financial ties to the country suggest his involvement in West Ham is long-term.
Kretinsky rarely speaks publicly about West Ham, but he will now be the public figurehead of a new and uncertain era for the club.
The Irons are set for a difficult summer, with the club needing to raise funds following their relegation to the Championship.
After a 14-year stay in the Premier League, West Ham are expected to oversee wholesale changes to the way the club is run this summer.
Kretinsky has positioned himself at the centre of these plans and will now be tasked with providing the ambition and financial capital to ensure West Ham bounce straight back up to the Premier League.
