But if chairman Keith Hellawell does eventually go on 5 January [at a shareholder meeting] and someone like independent director David Brayshaw steps in, then we might see investors warm a little more to the stock and this could be the nadir.. [52], Ten months later, and with the departure of McClaren and the arrival of Rafael Bentez, Ashley gave another interview. The retailers staff, he said, were increasingly upset and angry at the barrage of detrimental comments about the company which in their view is unjustified. Michael Murray, engaged to Mike Ashley's daughter Anna, is currently head of elevation at Frasers Group. He was also tasked with modernising the business and creating a more upmarket image. The company owns SportFX's cosmetics brand. She lives with boyfriend of five years Michael Murray, 27, in a 10.7 million house in Knightsbridge and its he who seems to be the breadwinner, thanks to a little help from Daddy. WHEN Mike Ashley met his wife, Linda, a swedish-born economics graduate, in 1986, he was a lowly squash coach working in a sports shop in Maidenhead. Mrs Ashley told a luxury lifestyle magazine: 'We've had a few good parties here. [37] In the following weeks, after an apparently unsuccessful trip to the Middle East to reportedly solicit potential buyers, Ashley later instructed a London law firm to handle the sale of the club. The house appears to be on the market at the moment - and some newspapers have suggested that Mr and Mrs Ashley could marry again. An apparent anomaly with the fans was Ashley choosing 'Smith 17' as the number of his shirt, after a squad player Alan Smith he admired and 17 being a lucky number for him. The company said in an announcement to the stock exchange: "The group's elevation strategy is transforming the business and receiving positive feedback from consumers and our brand partners, especially on projects such as the new Oxford Street Sports Direct which opened in June 2021. He entered the department store industry following the acquisition of House of Fraser post-administration in 2018. At any other FTSE 100 company, this would not be tolerated. At the meeting Dave Whelan, the founder of JJB Sports, reportedly told Ashley: "There's a club in the north, son, and you're not part of it."[24]. Mrs Ashley has a lavish seven-bedroom house and two properties for staff boasting a further four bedrooms. A former friend says Linda would have a big party for her birthday every year. According to reports, Matilda is also the proud owner of a top-of-the-range 130,000 horsebox, complete with DVD player, to transport horses she rides at a 800-a-month livery stables in. Mike Ashley has three children - two daughters and one son - with ex-wife Linda. In behaviour similar to the daughters of another swashbuckling business/sporting tycoon Formula 1's Bernie Ecclestone Matilda's social media profiles are full of glamorous selfies. One photo shows her surrounded by shirtless young men at an event organised by Sintillate an exclusive party company operating in the UK, Majorca, Ibiza and Marbella. Hellawell said the directors accepted responsibility for our shortcomings, but there has also been disproportionate, inaccurate and misleading commentary. Matilda is Ashley's youngest daughter. Mike made headlines in 2008 after a wild party at a New York nightclub saw him spend 125,000 on alcohol, including 450 bottles of champagne and a 30,000 tip. Clive Lewis MP, Labours shadow business secretary, said: It is not surprising that Sports Directs profits have taken a hit given the revelations that employees have been paid less than the minimum wage for years, made to work in Victorian conditions, and the collapse of corporate governance structures that followed. [21] Neither Ashley nor his representatives showed interest in taking part in the film, declaring that the film was producing a majority of inaccuracies. A. He built it up from a single shop in Maidenhead, Berkshire, into one of the nation's most successful. She appears to have a similar sense of humour to her gruff father, beibg photographed recently in a pink frock accessorised with a sash saying 'Miss F***ing World'. Sports Direct declined to clarify how it would measure the value added, but Murray could earn millions of pounds if it uses the profits it banks from property every year. Matilda, Anna and Oliver, from 1998 to 2003. The most opulent is a 9.7 million clifftop villa in the swanky resort of Port dAndratx, Majorca, frequented by celebrities with superyachts and off-duty oligarchs. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more. Profits at Mike Ashleys Sports Direct fell by 57% in the first half of the year after pounds collapse following the Brexit vote. In August, Sports Direct was found to be paying hundreds of thousands of pounds to a company run by Ashley's brother for making international deliveries on behalf of the retailer. Constance Marten seen leaving court after appearing before magistrates charged with manslaughter of baby, Constance Marten and Mark Gordon blow each other a kiss in dock before court hears dead baby was found in bag in shed, Mum identified after dead baby is found on Canford Heath, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). (510) 292-4339. After their 2003 divorce, Linda started a relationship with Simon Brodin, 44, a wealthy London businessman whose past girlfriends include a string of pop stars. The latter can be worth up to 1 million. How Prince Harry's chat with guru who compared Hamas terrorists to Jews who battled the Nazis has appalled JAN MOIR: Goodbye Ken, the world always seemed safer with you on the airwaves, Abstaining from masturbating RAISES risk of anxiety, depression and erectile dysfunction, study warns. Mr Murray is also a director of Strawberry Place Newcastle Limited, which is a property business associated with Mr Ashleys Newcastle United. Mr Ashley's wife and children have the run of the family's private property portfolio, including a seven-bedroom mansion in North London. The Financial Reporting Council said it had discussed certain issues with the company following its review of the 2015 annual report and accounts. Party girl Matilda, 19,set up cosmetics firm Sport FX. But he has now set up a London-based online radio station. The couple previously lived in a nearby three-storey mews house, which was bought by Mr Ashley's youngest daughter, Matilda, for 5.1m four months ago. Ashley's popularity increased further with the return of Kevin Keegan as manager on 16 January 2008,[30] to replace the previous regime's relatively unpopular choice Sam Allardyce. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Mike Murray given 250m war chest to 'create value'in property consultancy role, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Elder daughter Anna lives with boyfriend Michael Murray, who runs the property arm of the Sports Direct empire. One theory in City circles is that Mr Ashley is grooming Murray to take over the whole company. [72], In 1988 aged 24, he married Linda Jerlmyr, a Swedish-born economics graduate, and the couple have three children. Sports Direct announced on Thursday that veteran banker David Brayshaw is joining the board as a non-executive director and joining the company's audit committee. . Among his fleet of expensive cars are a black Bentley, a BMW 7 Series and a champagne-coloured Aston Martin DB4 with cream interior, which he bought for Linda as a birthday present. Matilda is the daughter of Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley. Drivers face fuel-guzzling 52-mile trip so council can fix just 546 yards of road. As his wealth exploded their lifestyles are said to have become polar opposites. Few, however, have managed it with quite such aplomb as Murray, 26, who has been dating Anna since 2011. Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. Mike Ashley has three children - two daughters and one son - with ex-wife Linda. [25] On 31 May, it was reported that the Newcastle board were considering Ashley's offer. His father, who worked for a food distribution company, handled the books, while his mother, a secretary, helped out behind the counter. Ashley founded Sports Direct in 1982 when he was 18 , and today owns over 60% of the group that has grown to some 769 stores across 25 countries. Some 922 jobs out of a total of 1,700 across. 'I haven't ever seen his wife and I've never seen him in person but I know his helicopter.'. Loose or informal governance arrangements have the potential to surprise investors, something they would rather avoid. [28] 100% acquisition was achieved in July with Ashley paying a total of around 134million to buy the club. [49][50], On the final day of the 201415 season, Ashley gave his first televised interview to Sky Sports, eight years after buying the club. Matilda is Ashley's youngest daughter. The companys non-executive directors will oversee an independent review every year to decide with their absolute discretion how much he should be paid. Were mortgage rates below 4% a flash in the pan? The tanned 50-year-old, who bears a resemblance to fellow Swede Britt Ekland, marched down Whitehall in a white dress, sunglasses and heels to support the under-fire businessman. Even worse, many such slurs aren't from men but 'I couldn't do it without you': Victoria Beckham poses with her whole family after her PFW show - as she Brooklyn Beckham puts on a loved-up display with wife Nicola Peltz as they head back to hotel after Cruz Beckham supports his mother Victoria as he carrying his very own VB handbag on the way to her show Like father, like daughter! Oscar Cainer tells all. Oscar Cainer tells all. Its products sold in her fathers stores include 24.99 mesh leggings and 9.99 sports mascara. It recently emerged that Mike spent 130,000 on a new horsebox for Matilda. How Prince Harry's chat with guru who compared Hamas terrorists to Jews who battled the Nazis has appalled JAN MOIR: Goodbye Ken, the world always seemed safer with you on the airwaves, Abstaining from masturbating RAISES risk of anxiety, depression and erectile dysfunction, study warns. Sports Directs shares fell by 10% to 280p on Thursday. Mike's other daughter Matilda owns a cosmetics business while his son Oliver is a DJ. Since Sports Direct International Plc went public, and his purchase of Newcastle United where he took to sitting in the stands with fans, Ashley took on a more public and accessible persona. The business became a limited liability company in 1999. [43] On 4 November, it was announced that Ashley's own company would sponsor the stadium, rebranding it the "sportsdirect.com @ St James' Park Stadium" until the end of the season.[44]. The company has suspended its planned share buyback until further notice. Mr Ashley was previously executive deputy chairman of the retail group - which changed its name from Sports Direct International to Frasers Group two years ago - until 2016, when long-serving. Mrs Ashley's mansion appears to be on the market at the moment - and some newspapers have suggested that Mr and Mrs Ashley could marry again. [73][75], Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Company Overview of SportsDirect.com Retail Ltd: People", "Mike Ashley: Sports Direct's media-shy owner enters spotlight", "Newcastle's unlikely lad Mike Ashley calls shots", "Mike Ashley, a shy and retiring retail insurgent", "Sports Direct's Mike Ashley: nasty or nice? From 675 Louboutin ankle boots to 1,000 Missoni beachwear and 200 Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses, she always looks the part. Interest also mounted around the feasibility of a fan buyout of the club, seeing the launch of the Newcastle Fans United group. Poor working practices, which include the widespread use of zero hours contracts, have also been attacked by politicians and unions, leading to the announcement of a 15p-an-hour pay rise last week. She said: Any transfer of wealth from a listed company to a controlling shareholder through related party vehicles have the potential to be detrimental to minority shareholders. They previously lived at a mews house in Chelsea, which was sold for 5.7million in cash in September to Miss Ashley's 19-year-old sister Matilda. Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest stories in hedge funds, PE, fintech, and banking delivered daily to your inbox. Sports Direct chairman Keith Hellawell blamed an "extreme political, union and media campaign" for the profit slump, saying it has "damaged its reputation and influenced our customers." Hardly an auspicious start for a man whose personal fortune now tops 2.4 billion. Find Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok profiles, images and more on IDCrawl - free people search website. The company has also done a deal with a beauty company run by the youngest daughter of Mike Ashley, the billionaire founder of the company. However, Sports Direct added that it is also about to take delivery of a new corporate plane, worth $51.1m (40m). ', Close: Mr and Mrs Ashley were married for around 14 years - there was around 12 years when they were not together but it appears they are going strong again, Sports Direct billionaire Mike Ashley's daughter Anna, left, has been dating Michael Murray since 2011 - he has been handed a plum role with Mr Ashley's sports company, Mr Ashley's youngest child Matilda'ssocial media profiles are full of glamorous selfies, left, she owns a Chelsea house bought for 5million - her brother Oliver works in radio rather than for the family business. Ashley attended a meeting at the Cheshire home of David Hughes, the chairman of now bankrupt rival Allsports. Sarah Wilson, chief executive of Manifest, the shareholder representative group, said related party transactions between directors and their associates were a hot topic for investors, although Sports Direct is not thought to consider the agreement with Murray as a related party transaction. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Hellawell questioned whether this "intense scrutiny is all ethically motivated," saying: "The Board accepts responsibility for our shortcomings, but there has also been disproportionate, inaccurate and misleading commentary.". Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley outside its headquarters in Shirebrook, Derbyshire. Matilda owns a second Chelsea mews house on an adjoining street, which she bought last September for 5.1 million in cash. Ricky's is a well known . [26] On 7 June, it was confirmed that chairman Freddy Shepherd had agreed to sell his 28% share to Ashley, which left Ashley free to take control of the club. . We do not write articles to promote products. In 1982, he opened his first sport and ski shop in Maidenhead followed by others in and around London, starting with a 10,000 loan from his family (equivalent to 37,545 in 2021). Of course, going out with the boss's daughter is a tried-and-tested route to career advancement. The board should provide more details about how they will assess his value and what his targets will be, which should be high achieving. Recent accounts revealed that the company was being financed by loans from his dad. His remuneration is based solely on creating value, with the companys non-executive directors overseeing an independent review annually and deciding, in their absolute discretion, how much of any increased value (up to a maximum of 25 per cent) shall be paid to Michael..