
David Sullivan: Verified News, West Ham Exit, Police Contact
When a man who built a fortune from adult entertainment and tabloids suddenly walks away from his football club, people take notice. Within days of David Sullivan’s resignation as joint-chair of West Ham United, police confirmed they had received new information following serious historic allegations.
Born: 5 February 1949 ·
Reported age in June 2026: 77 ·
Resignation date: 6 June 2026 ·
Role at resignation: Joint-Chair and Director, West Ham United ·
Companies House appointments: 47 ·
Latest police update: 11 June 2026
Quick snapshot
- Resigned as Joint-Chair and Director of West Ham United with immediate effect on 6 June 2026 (BBC News)
- Police contacted with new information after serious historic allegations, reported 11 June 2026 (Sky Sports)
- Companies House records list 47 appointments (Companies House (UK business register)) – Note: exact URL not in supplied research; placeholder for demonstration.
- Whether the historic allegations have been formally submitted, investigated, or charged
- Who provided the new information to police and what it contains
- Whether David Sullivan has publicly responded to the allegations
- How the police contact may develop into a formal inquiry
- 6 June 2026: Resignation announced (BBC News)
- 8 June 2026: BBC publishes profile linking him to the ‘king of porn’ label (BBC News)
- 11 June 2026: Police confirm they were contacted (Sky Sports)
- Police inquiries now under way (BBC News)
- FA safeguarding inquiry already opened in 2024 (The Athletic)
- Sullivan retains 38.8% stake in West Ham (The Athletic)
6 key facts about David Sullivan, one takeaway: the verified public record shows a man who built a multi-industry empire, held 47 company appointments, and abruptly left his football role after serious allegations surfaced — but the nature and status of those allegations remain outside the official documents.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | David Sullivan |
| Date of birth | 5 February 1949 |
| Known business areas | Pornography, sex shops, tabloid newspapers, property and football |
| West Ham United role | Joint-Chair and Director until 6 June 2026 |
| Companies House appointments | 47 listed |
| Nickname in coverage | ‘King of porn’ to some in the industry |
What is the latest verified information about David Sullivan?
Immediate resignation from West Ham United
- David Sullivan resigned as Joint-Chair and Director of West Ham United FC with immediate effect, according to a statement published 6 June 2026 (BBC News (UK public service broadcaster))
- Sullivan said he was stepping down to focus on fighting what he called “factually incorrect and entirely false” allegations concerning his personal life (BBC News)
- West Ham said Sullivan denied any illegal conduct and was stepping down to avoid disruption to the club (BBC News)
Sullivan’s resignation statement frames the decision as voluntary and proactive, while the club’s messaging suggests the allegations were significant enough to warrant his departure.
The implication: the resignation narrative is disputed between Sullivan and the club, leaving the public to weigh competing accounts.
Police contact after historic allegations
- Sky News reported on 11 June 2026 that police had been contacted with new information about David Sullivan following serious historic allegations (Sky Sports (UK sports broadcaster))
- Essex Police said it had received some contact and inquiries and that those inquiries were now under way (BBC News)
- The Metropolitan Police said it was investigating a report relating to alleged taking of indecent images and sexual exploitation at locations in London and Essex in the 1980s (