Vanessa Gold inherited a 25.1% stake in the London Stadium club following the passing of her father, David Gold, and subsequently appointed Rothschild & Co to oversee a partial sale to secure the club’s commercial future.
Kretinsky, who entered the fray in 2021 by purchasing a 27% stake through 1890s Holdings, has long been viewed as the natural heir to majority control.
The proposed deal involves acquiring enough of Gold’s shares to propel his ownership to over 40%, accompanied by a joint option to purchase further equity down the line.
The timing of these talks is critical. With longtime majority owner David Sullivan stepping back from day-to-day operations and open to selling his own 38.8% stake, a massive power vacuum has opened.
Kretinsky—a multi-billionaire tycoon who also owns Sparta Prague and recently completed a monumental buyout of Royal Mail—is poised to step forcefully to the forefront of West Ham’s leadership.
This structural shakeup comes at a turbulent moment for the Hammers, who are weathering a difficult competitive spell and heavy financial losses.
By securing a dominant share of the Gold family’s holdings, Kretinsky will finally possess the administrative leverage and private capital required to overhaul the football department, manage high-stakes player transfers from a position of strength, and guide the club back towards a stable, ambitious future.