Founded in 1895, the West Ham Football Club is considered to be the pride of London. Despite of the Premier League fans being under the impression that the Hammers are a midtable club, the team has a rich heritage behind and have seen silverware multiple times. Known to be one of the club that can challenge the top tier teams at any given point, West Ham’s history is pretty much like rising through the ashes.
From Arnold Hills to all the way David Sullivan, the Hammers have gone through many transitions over the period. Along with the ownership changes, cam with different visions that have molded the club for the better and perhaps for some challenges as well. Safe to say, the Hammers have always been behind the club and the players who have graced the famous London Stadium.
Despite of many people believe, the nickname ‘hammers’ got nothing to do with the name of the club. The club has a rich heritage. The nickname Hammers or the Irons came in 1895 from the Thames Ironworks. The club was renamed on 1901 as West Ham. Since the early years, they have had interesting changes in ownership. Let us dive into the list of the owners.
Background
The Hammers has a proud but restricted collection of trophies in contrast to the Giants of Premier League. They have the FA cup trophies of the years 1964, 1975, and 1980 as they were the proud winners that year. West Ham were also the finalists of 1923 and 2006 FA Cup.
Unlike some of the famous clubs in the League, the Hammers were not late in the party of European glory. They have won the UEFA Cup Winners‘ trophy on multiple occasions; on 1965 and 1976 to be precise. Under the new West Ham owner, the club also won the UEFA Europa Conference League in 2023.
The hammers were the crowned champion of the English Second Division Champions on 1958. They were also the Championship Play-Off Winners on multiple occasions at 2005 and 2012. Other than that they were the UEFA Intertoto Cup winner on 1999.
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List of the owners of West Ham FC
If you ask who owns West Ham United, well the answer is David Sullivan. However, Daniel Kietinsky has 27% stake at the club too. As with many football clubs out there, there are many ownership changes of the club.
For the Hammers in particular, there have been quite a few names on the list. Here are a detailed table for better clarity of the ownership and their period:
| Owner | Years |
| Arnold Hills | 1895-1926 |
| Syd King | 1902- 1932 |
| W.G Clothier | 1932- 1950 |
| The Cearns Family | 1960- 1990 |
| Terry Brown | 1992- 2006 |
| Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson | 2006- 2010 |
| David Gold & David Sullivan | 2010- 2023 (Gold) |
| David Sullivan | 2010- Present |
| Danie Kretinsky | 2021- Present (27% Stake) |
The Welsh businessman David Sullivan owns the Club right now as per the stake. He has around 38.8 per cent stake in the club. The Czech businessman Daniel Kretinsky got 27 per cent, props to the 1890s holdings.
Other than that, the late David Gold’s family trust, represented by the daughter Vanessa Gold, owns the third biggest stake, which is 25.1 per cent.
Recent reports suggested that Gold is working with the Rothschild bankers to sell over 10 per cent of the family trust’s take in the club.
History of West Ham ownership
As we mentioned earlier, over the years, the Hammers have gone through many ownership changes. The fans of the club have mixed feelings when it comes to David Sullivan and David Gold.
Many people considered leaving the old ground and moving to London Stadium as a step forward. However, one of the reasons to do it was to increase the revenue. Therefore, some fans thought it was a bad judgement. They believed the traditional roots were being ignored. Moreover, the stadium atmosphere too was criticized. Why? The belief was that the crowd had been less passionate ever since the move to the new stadium.
When David Moyes came in charge of the club, they have seen the glory of UEFA Europa Conference League in 2023. Over the years, the club had made some good investments on players. It is something that the fans have relished and backed. However, some Hammers believe that it should be consistent.
With the increasing involvement of Daniel Kretinsky in the club, there are rumors about the future of Sullivan. There are fans who think the potential of Kretinsky taking over as a new start. With that, there will be new hopes that more financial backing and ambition will come under his leadership.
Throughout the 2010s, fan protests against the ownership were common occurence. It is especially in 2018 when a pitch invasion and protests at the London Stadium happened in the 3-0 defeat to Burnley. Fans demanded more transparency and ambition from the board.
In the recent years, the relationship of the board with fans has somewhat enhanced, especially following the Conference League victory. Still, among the fans the ownership issues are still foggy.
Current Ownership of West Ham United
The club is recently owned by David Sullivan, who became the majority shareholder in 2010 alongside the late David Gold. After the passing of Gold in January 2023, Sullivan now holds the primary stake.
The Club has also attracted new investment of Daniel Kretinsky. He is speculated to be the potential future owner, given an agreement enabling him to increase his stake after the move of the club to the London Stadium. It is really a strong belief that he might be the future owner of West ham United.
Sullivan and Gold were instrumental in West Ham’s move from the Upton Park to the London Stadium, a decision that have been both logistically and economically important for the future of the club. But the decision has been made a love-hate relationship among the fans and the club.
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FAQ’s
Q. How did David Sullivan make his money?
A. From property investments and expansion to media to selling adult magazines, David Sullivan had dipped his toe in quite a few enterprises to make his money
Q. Who is the CEO of West Ham?
A. Karen Brady is the CEO of West Ham.
Q. How did the West Ham owners make their money?
A. David Gold made his money from publishing and Gold Group International. David Sullivan made his money from property investments.
Q. How much does David Gold own of West Ham?
A. David Gold had 25.1% stake of the West Ham United.