Daniel Kretinsky is not expected to increase his stake in West Ham despite Vanessa Gold putting a significant portion of her family’s share in the club up for sale.
The Czech billionaire is the second-largest shareholder, having purchased a 27 per cent stake in 2021, while the Gold family trust owns 25%.
Gold, daughter of former joint-chairman David Gold, announced yesterday she would be willing to sell part of that stake — up to 10% of the club — “to the right partner”.
Kretinsky and David Sullivan, who owns the largest share at just shy of 39%, were consulted over the decision, as was American financier Tripp Smith, who has an 8% stake.
Were Kretinsky to buy the full 10% on offer from the Golds, his stake would grow to only just shy of joint-chair Sullivan’s, while a slightly larger purchase could even make him the club’s largest shareholder. However, it is understood that the 48-year-old is not interested in a deal at this stage.
Instead, Gold has enlisted the Rothschild & Co. bank to sound out external investors as global interest in owning Premier League clubs continues to surge.
