David Sullivan announced Saturday he had stepped down from his role as joint-chair of West Ham with immediate effect.
The 77-year-old is leaving his role of 16 years to fight "false allegations" about his private life.
Sullivan, who built a business empire from owning pornographic magazines and sex shops, said: " I have recently become aware that factually incorrect and entirely false, decades-old allegations concerning my personal life are due to be broadcast and published."
He added: "The false allegations levelled against me have been sensationalised by the media. 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. I categorically deny these claims."
Sullivan and business partner David Gold completed their takeover of West Ham after selling Birmingham, and brought Karren Brady with them as vice-chairman.
Their tenure oversaw the unpopular move from Upton Park to the former Olympic Stadium in 2016, making the three of them the focus of numerous anti-board protests among club’s supporters even before the club were relegated from the Premier League this season.
"I am a private man, and those who personally and professionally know the real David Sullivan, not the caricature invented by the tabloids, know exactly who I am and what I stand for," Sullivan added in his statement.
"This has been an incredibly painful decision to...
Joint-chair of relegated club to tackle ‘false allegations’ ‘I am not the person the media has decided to paint me as’ The former pornography baron David Sullivan has announced his resignation a...