West Ham co-owner Daniel Kretinsky has launched a series of big money French media moves after buying a £37m castle near Paris.
When West Ham announced Czech billionaire Kretinsky had become the club’s second biggest stakeholder a year ago next month, the excitement was palpable.
Here was a businessman with a net worth four times that of existing West Ham co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold.
A man with access to £700m every year to use purely for investments, a man who is a leading figure in a £15bn empire built by the deceased father of his partner.
Someone with experience of running a football club regularly competing in Europe and for silverware. The man then to take West Ham to a new level.
Reports and rumours abound following Kretinsky’s arrival at West Ham that his investment – £150m for 27 per cent of the club – would allow the Hammers to go bigger and better than before in the transfer market.
A barren January saw doubts raised over his ambition and intentions.
But an unprecedented £170m splurge on eight quality signings in the summer has extinguished any flames of discontent.
West Ham’s billionaire co-owner, who has big stakes in the likes of Royal Mail and Sainsbury’s, has made a fortune snapping up unloved assets.
The Hammers did a lot of their business in France over the summer signing Alphonse Areola and Thilo Kehrer from PSG, Nayef Aguerd from Rennes and Lucas Paqueta from Lyon.
West Ham co-owner Daniel Kretinsky launches series of big money French media moves after buying £37m castle near Paris
Now West Ham co-owner Kretinsky has launched a series of big money French media moves after buying a £37m castle near Paris last month.
An investment vehicle linked to Kretinsky, purchased the expensive Château du Marais, Ile-de-France near the capital for €43m (£37m), according to filings seen by Bloomberg.
And now West Ham’s second biggest stakeholder has made more moves across The Channel.
Kretinsky is already heavily invested in French media as the owner of Elle magazine and part-owner of the daily Le Monde.
Now he is lending Libération £12m to help stem losses until its projected breakeven in 2026.
In addition, Kretinsky’s foundation will inject around £800k into the Fund for the Support of Independent Media (FDPI), the majority-owners of Libération, according to an internal announcement made by Libération‘s managing director Denis Olivennes, as reported by RFI.
Meanwhile the West Ham chief has also made a bid for the Bertelsmann-owned M6 Group following the broadcaster’s failed merger with TF1.
The M6 Group is a French media holding company formed around the commercial television channel M6, which was launched in March 1987.
It has turned over more than £1bn in revenue since 2016 but just £132m in net income in the same period.
Digital TV Europe reports that West Ham co-owner Kretinsky is one of three bidders to have submitted offers.
West Ham clearly have a man in the building with serious money and he’s not afraid to spend it on the right investments.
Let’s hope that continues to be the case with the Hammers in the coming years and transfer windows.
Now take a look at West Ham billionaire Kretinsky’s stunning £65m London supermansion he once rented to Justin Bieber
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