From its inception in 1895 until today, West Ham United remains one of the top English football teams known in different world regions. In its lengthy history, it has won the FA Cup three times and scored several other large victories both locally and across Europe.
Obviously, a team that has been around for so long has won the love of fans worldwide. They support West Ham in multiple ways, from attending the matches in person to buying merch and placing online bets on their favorite players. People who prefer Canadian platforms can choose an online casino with no verification required where sports betting is an option; this way, they can access their winnings from West Ham without the need to confirm their identity. The hype is especially heated this season because there are persistent West Ham transfer rumors that can drastically change all the expected outcomes.
Current Majority Owner of West Ham United
The success of West Ham can be attributed to its efficient ownership structure. Right now, it is considered the 37th best football team in the world, which shows that its stakeholders have been making smart decisions that helped the team stay afloat.
David Sullivan is the current majority owner of West Ham United. He holds 38.8% of this club, and his influence keeps growing as he’s tasked with heading the negotiations for new players this year. However, it doesn’t mean the fans are thrilled with his direction.
Some appreciate Sullivan’s steady control and agree that he solidified West Ham’s chances of scoring grand victories. At the same time, others criticize his penchant for going for cheap options and providing next to no clarity. Right now, West Ham transfer news ranges from Sullivan arranging contracts with rising stars from South America to making deals with well-known representatives of other Premier League teams.
What is the truth? Where is the lie? The fans don’t know because Sullivan offers no transparent answers.
Key Stakeholders and Share Distribution
Let’s consider other West Ham key stakeholders to understand whether any of them can challenge Sullivan’s control over the team and its managerial decisions.
- Daniel Křetínský. This Czech billionaire owns the 1890s Holdings company, which has 28% of West Ham.
- Vanessa Gold. Gold represents the Family Trust, holding 25.1% of West Ham.
- J. Albert Smith. As the owner of WHU LLC, Smith holds 8% of the club.
- Other investors. The percentage of shares of other investors is small, as it reaches just 1.1%.
Looking at these numbers, it is clear that Křetínský and Gold can pose a challenge to Sullivan at some point. That’s one of the hottest points of speculation among the fans, with them wondering whether the current West Ham transfer rumours can be explained by disagreements among the stakeholders and Sullivan’s attempts to reinforce his position.
History of Ownership Changes
Source
West Ham’s revenue for the 2023-2024 season exceeded its 2022-2023 numbers by 17%, equalling 322 million euros. The past three years have been undeniably profitable for this team, a fact that Sullivan appreciators never fail to point out. To see if their opinion is justified, let’s consider the history of ownership changes the West Ham club has experienced — and the shifts in revenue that came with them.
Starting our tracking from the beginning of the 21st century, we can see that the first West Ham owner of note was the Icelandic consortium. The previous director of this consortium was in debt by millions of euros, and his successor failed to improve the situation much. As a result, West Ham nearly faced complete destruction: it was saved by Sullivan and his then-partner David Gold.
These investors helped West Ham survive, but their influence seemed barely noticeable until they moved to the London Stadium in 2016. This was the decision that caused the biggest controversies among the fans. Some considered it an exciting shift to a new level, but others disagreed. They argued that despite the growing revenue, West Ham lost the unique identity that made it special, becoming a money-making machine for its stakeholders.
In 2021, Křetínský joined in by buying 28% of the club. His appearance brought an influx of fresh, purely European energy, and as you can see from the graph above, this marked the point where the revenue of West Ham jumped by an incredible 35.6%. So, while Sullivan saved West Ham, it’s Křetínský who managed to really boost its revenue.
As for Gold, he passed away in 2023, so now his daughter is the owner of West Ham’s shares. Whether she maintains a positive relationship with Sullivan remains yet another subject of speculation.
Influence of Ownership on Club Decisions
It’s clear that the owners of the club have a lot of influence on various decisions, including the ones concerning transfers. Plenty of West Ham fans consider Sullivan’s choices overly greedy, as he’s been known for missing out on footballers with excellent potential over petty financial disagreements.
The upcoming West Ham transfer is rumored to include Fábio Silva, a striker from Wolves, Jobe Bellingham from Sunderland, Youssef En-Nesyri from Sevilla, and some other players, from experienced to emerging ones. The specifics remain a mystery, but the fans are already arguing about which decisions belong to whom.
Sullivan is notorious for going after cheaper and more experienced players, as he’s not fond of rocking the boat. Křetínský, on the other hand, is more of a wild card. Considering his significant stake, it’s likely that he will finally exert his influence over club decisions to the maximum, bringing someone new and fiery to push West Ham into a new direction.
Future Ownership Speculations
To many fans, Křetínský is a sign of a new chapter capable of bringing West Ham to new heights. Some speculate he might initiate a takeover, pushing Sullivan away and increasing his stake.
Others prefer to stick to Sullivan’s familiar figure since no one knows what to expect from Křetínský yet. Will his decisions continue to benefit West Ham? How much of his interest is rooted in passion, and how much is linked to money?
Wait until the upcoming transfers become clearer. That’s when we will get a chance to see what the future of West Ham holds and who will play a key role in it.
