David Sullivan: West Ham owner’s porn tycoon, net worth and famous WAG as he brokers Declan Rice Arsenal deal

West Ham United owner David Sullivan is the man at the centre of the Arsenal interest in Declan Rice this summer.

The Gunners are on the verge of completing a bumper £105 million deal for the England international, who has attracted interest from Manchester City and Manchester United this summer too.

Mikel Arteta had seen two Arsenal bids rejected by their North London rivals but the club's latest offer of £100 million plus £5 million of add-ons has been enough to tempt David Sullivan.

The West Ham owner is reported to be running negotiations personally, rather than relying on agents or intermediaries and has managed to see the fee his club will receive climb into triple figures.

Sullivan has a one-of-a-kind story about how he got where he is and LondonWorld looks at his history in pornography, life with fiancee Ampika Pickston and his net worth.

How did West Ham owner David Sullivan make his money?

David Sullivan studied Economics at the University of London and then made his first foray into business with David Gold, selling softcore pornography.

The duo found success with their magazines and expanded into sex shops, adult magazines and pornographic films. By the age of 25, Sullivan's porn empire had made him a millionaire.

It's reported that by the late 1970s the porn tycoon controlled half the UK adult magazine market which included famous titles Playbirds and Whitehouse.

Sullivan told the Evening Standard in 2012 that he did 'not feel embarrassed' about the source of his early income and labelled himself a 'freedom fighter' in his line of work.

The Welshman has also made a pretty penny from property as the owner of investment company Conegate, which owns some of London's most notable buildings.

Sullivan's first venture into football came in 1993 when he bought into Birmingham City with David Gold and Ralph Gold. The businessman stepped down from the club after 16 years alongside famous Dragons Den colleague Karren Brady. In 2010, Sullivan acquired a 50% share in West Ham alongside David Gold.

Who is David Sullivan's 41-year-old fiancee Ampika Pickston, and what is the age gap?

Sullivan has two children from a relationship with ex-girlfriend and porn star Eve Vorley, who is still a director at West Ham. One of their children, Jack, is also heavily involved at the London Stadium.

The West Ham owner is now engaged to 41-year-old model and Real Housewives of Cheshire star Ampika Pickston. Sullivan is currently brokering the deal for Declan Rice's move to Arsenal whilst on holiday with Pickson, who was seen living it up on a Sorrento boat trip and sharing raunchy photos on her social media accounts.

David Sullivan is 74 years old meaning that there is a 33-year age gap between the West Ham owner and his reality TV fiancee.

What is David Sullivan's net worth?

According to The Times 2019 Rich List, David Sullivan and his family boast a net worth of £1.15 billion.

That figure was up £50 million on the publication's last report. Sullivan is reported to have £188.4 million of assets in his Conegate operation with his holding at West Ham valued at £325 million.