West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan has denied allegations of sexual misconduct as the Independent Football Regulator confirmed it is seeking information relating to his suitability under its owners, directors and senior executives regime.
The regulator said it was “in contact” with West Ham and would use its statutory powers to obtain “urgent information” regarding Sullivan following allegations made by multiple women.
The claims, published by BBC Panorama and The Times, accuse the billionaire businessman of abusing his power and preying on young women for sex over several decades.
The women were reportedly in their late teens or early twenties and seeking work as models at Sullivan’s Daily and Sunday Sport newspapers.
As reported by the BBC on Tuesday, in a statement, the IFR described the allegations as “extremely serious” and said it would assess whether there were grounds for concern regarding Sullivan’s role at the club.
A spokesperson for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said: “These deeply concerning allegations must be treated with the utmost seriousness and be investigated by the relevant authorities, with victims given the support they need.”
The spokesperson added: “The Government stands strongly against any form of harassment or abuse of power in the workplace and is working across industries to stamp it out and build an environment where people feel safe and able to challenge inappropriate behaviour.”
Sullivan has categorically denied the allegations and insisted he has engaged in no illegal conduct.
The 77-year-old stepped down from his role as West Ham’s joint chairman ahead of the publication of the allegations. In a statement announcing his resignation, he said he wanted to focus on fighting what he described as “factually incorrect and entirely false, decades-old allegations” concerning his personal life.
He also criticised the investigation by Panorama and The Times as “fundamentally unfair”.
Sullivan added: “After a lifetime spent building businesses in the adult industry in which I have met thousands of women, it is sadly inevitable that a small number of improper conduct claims are being made against me.”
West Ham said Sullivan had denied any “illegal conduct” and was stepping aside “in order to avoid disruption to the club while he addresses the matter privately”.
Sullivan has been a leading figure at West Ham for 16 years and became the club’s largest individual shareholder following the death of his long-time business partner David Gold in January 2023.
PUNCH Online had reported that Sullivan announced Saturday he had stepped down from his role as joint-chair of West Ham with immediate effect.
