David Sullivan (businessman)

David Sullivan
David Sullivan
Born	February 5, 1949 (age 77); Cardiff, Wales
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, businessman
Known for	Owner of Daily Sport and Sunday Sport newspapers; chairman and principal shareholder of West Ham United F.C.

David Sullivan (born 5 February 1949) is a British entrepreneur and former adult entertainment businessman. He owned the Daily Sport and Sunday Sport newspapers from 1986 until 2007, selling them for £40 million. In 2011, he reportedly reacquired these publications for £50,000 and restarted their circulation.

As per the Sunday Times Rich List of 2025, Sullivan's estimated wealth stands at £1.118 billion.

He currently serves as chairman and is the principal shareholder of Premier League club West Ham, following the passing of his business associate David Gold in 2023. Previously, the pair jointly chaired Birmingham City.

Early life

Sullivan was born in Cardiff to a father serving in the Royal Air Force and was raised in a council home in Penarth. At ten years old, his family spent a year living in Aden Colony before settling in Hornchurch, Essex. He attended Abbs Cross school, achieving ten O Levels, then proceeded to Watford Grammar School for Boys where he earned three A levels. Sullivan pursued Economics at Queen Mary College, University of London, narrowly missing out on a first-class honours degree.

Adult entertainment business

Together with business partner David Gold, Sullivan began by selling softcore pornographic photographs. Their enterprise grew to include sex shops, adult magazines, and low-budget adult films, enabling Sullivan to become a millionaire by age 25. In 1978, he launched his first sex shop called "Private Shop," with plans to expand nationwide. By the late 1970s, his holdings encompassed half of the UK’s adult magazine market—including prominent titles such as Playbirds and Whitehouse—alongside controlling 80% of the adult mail order sector and operating 150 retail outlets.

During this period, Sullivan produced several low-budget British adult films including Come Play with Me (1977), followed by The Playbirds (1978), Confessions from the David Galaxy Affair (1979), and Queen of the Blues (1979), all featuring his then-partner Mary Millington. After Millington's death by suicide in 1979, he continued to capitalize on her name with Mary Millington's True Blue Confessions (1980). Millington was also slated to star in his subsequent project, Emmanuelle in Soho (1981).

In 1982, Sullivan was convicted for living off immoral earnings related to prostitution but successfully appealed the verdict and was released after serving 71 days in custody. He has publicly defended his early career choices by emphasizing adults’ rights to personal freedom and contrasting his work with industries that cause societal harm.

In 2003, Sullivan transferred ownership of his magazine businesses to David and Ralph Gold.

Property

Sullivan manages Conegate, an investment firm that holds ownership of prime real estate in London, including the building that houses the Russell & Bromley flagship outlet on Oxford Street, close to Bond Street tube station.

Birmingham City

In 1993, Sullivan, together with David and Ralph Gold, acquired an 80% ownership interest in Birmingham City F.C. By 2007, Sullivan was contemplating selling his stake due to factors such as geographical distance, public criticism regarding expenditure, and insufficient backing from Birmingham Council. After sixteen years of involvement, Sullivan and managing director Karren Brady resigned following Carson Yeung’s acquisition in 2009. Manager Alex McLeish publicly acknowledged their prudent financial management.

West Ham United

After leaving Birmingham, Sullivan continued his involvement in football. In January 2010, he and David Gold purchased half of West Ham United for £105 million, assuming operational control. Vice-chairman Brady also joined the club, playing a key role in its revival.

Within just five months, Sullivan and Gold raised their combined ownership to 60%, with Sullivan holding a 30% share, which Brady described as providing the club with "much-needed stability." In September 2012, Sullivan disclosed that they personally financed the club’s transfer activities. He endorsed West Ham’s strategic relocation to the Olympic Stadium in Stratford, securing a 99-year lease starting from the 2016–2017 season.

In July 2013, Sullivan increased his holdings by acquiring an additional 25% of shares, becoming West Ham’s largest individual shareholder. However, tensions surfaced in March 2018 during fan protests at London Stadium; Sullivan was removed from the pitch area after invasions and was hit by a coin thrown by supporters.

On 26 March 2018, an HMRC tribunal determined that Sullivan had utilized West Ham to evade £700,000 in taxes through his family company Conegate Ltd., which purchased £2 million worth of club shares that were subsequently converted into nearly worthless deferred shares and sold back for £1, resulting in a tax loss.

Hornchurch

The 2020–21 Isthmian League Premier Division campaign for Hornchurch was halted in November 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing any league matches from taking place. During this suspension, the club benefited from financial assistance provided by Sullivan, who previously lived in Hornchurch.

Personal life

Sullivan lives at Birch Hall near Theydon Bois, Essex—a residence he designed and constructed in 1992 on roughly 12 acres of land valued at £7.5 million for both the site and building. This complements his commercial property portfolio estimated at around £500 million. His partner is Ampika Pickston, recognized from The Real Housewives of Cheshire. He has two children, David and Jack, with former partner Emma Benton-Hughes (formerly Eve Vorley).

A dedicated philanthropist, Sullivan has supported Prostate Cancer UK for over fifteen years and actively contributes to the Teenage Cancer Trust as well as other national charitable organizations. Following West Ham’s promotion to the Premier League in 2012, he donated a five-figure amount to an autism charity. In October 2020, Sullivan gave £25,000 to FareShare, supporting initiatives against child food poverty through the Child Food Poverty Taskforce established by Marcus Rashford.

Sources

Simon Sheridan Keeping the British End Up: Four Decades of Saucy Cinema 2011 (fourth edition) (Titan books)
Simon Sheridan Come Play with Me: The Life and Films of Mary Millington 1999 (FAB Press, Guildford)
Mark Killick The Sultan of Sleaze 1994 (Penguin UK)

External links

Image of Sullivan