Those who think that Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky will mount a full takeover of West Ham might end up disappointed.
The 46-year-old has a long history of minority ownership and it is an investment strategy that has worked well for him.
Even Sparta Prague football club where he is the president he remains the minority shareholder with 40% of the shares.
He has a 49 per cent stake in French newspaper Le Monde as well as a 5% stake at US department store Macy’s
He owns 10.3% ownership of Footlocker and 10% of Sainsbury’s.
The Czech tycoon’s Luxenberg investment vehicle, Vesa, is the largest shareholder in Royal Mail with a 19 per cent stake worth about £798 million
His investment firm also co-owns the Czech News Center which publishes several daily newspapers (Blesk, Aha! and Sport) as well as a 4.63% stake in French retailer Casino (Casino, which owns the famous Monoprix and Franprix supermarket and convenience store brands, among others)
They have a stake in Germany’s Metro and a 40% stake in Mall Group, a major e-commerce company in Central and Eastern Europe.
Last month he is reported to have taken a 5% stake in French broadcaster TF1.
The only company where he has the majority shareholding is the company he founded and the source of his wealth, he is CEO and 94% shareholder of Energetický a průmyslový holding, a.s. (EPH) which is a Czech based company currently investing mainly in the energy sector in Europe.
There is a false assumption that the current owners will not sell up until 2023 until they are released from a windfall tax but in reality, the financial penalty is very small in the scheme of things when borrowing and rights issues are factored in to offset any windfall tax.
