LAP OF LUXURY
Teenage football boss opens doors on family’s multi-million-pound home
T O SAY Jack Sullivan is not quite your average teenager would be something of an understatement. He’s the youngest son of Welsh billionaire David Sullivan, one of the richest men in the country and the owner of West Ham Utd.
So, with being short of cash never likely to be an option, he left school at 16 – after struggling with dyslexia – and asked his dad for a challenge.
Taking a year out doing work experience, trying his hand at everything from ticketing to retail, he’s now the 19-year-old managing director of the Hammers’ women’s football team.
And his efforts to take the fledgling squad to the top of the new, fullyprofessional Women’s Super League have recently been showcased in the nine-part BBC Three series Britain’s Youngest Football Boss.
But, in addition to all the on-pitch drama, viewers got to see inside the massive £7.5m mansion, which covers more than 25,000sq ft, in which Sullivan Jr lives with his dad, brother David Jr and their mum Emma.
One of three similarly plush properties between which they divide their time, the house was last seen on TV in 2016 as part of the Channel Five show How The Other Half Live.
Surrounded by acres of land, it boasts 14 bedrooms, numerous bathrooms and a dining room which can seat up to 24 people around the table.
And, as befits the “work-hard, play-hard” lifestyle of a self-made billionaire, there’s a bowling alley, indoor and outdoor swimming pool, games room and tennis court.
One decidedly odd touch, however, is the Sullivan collection of servants made from silicone – said to be worth about £50,000 each – which are scattered throughout the rooms.
Jack also has his own private bathroom with his initials monogrammed into the floor of the walk-in shower.
It’s a world away from the humble upbringing of his father, who grew up in a Penarth council house.
David Sr – who has an estimated wealth of £1.15bn according to the Sunday Times Rich List – made his fortune in adult magazines and films before going on to launch the Daily Sport newspaper, which he went on to sell for £45m.
■ All nine episodes of Britain’s Youngest Football Boss are available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.