Who are Brentford's new investors? Bees get Hollywood takeover to boost ambitions plans | OneFootball

British filmmaker Sir Matthew Vaughn and philanthropist and businessman Gary Lubner become minority shareholders

Brentford have announced the arrival of two minority shareholders, with one of them a major Hollywood name.

Matthew Benham, the club confirm, remains the majority shareholder.

Brentford had been searching for fresh impetus at board level earlier this year, with Benham appointing Rothschild to help manage a potential sale of a stake in the club.

The news first emerged in December last year that Benham was considering both a majority and a minority sale, and he has now settled on a minority-stake deal with Vaughn and Lubner.

The footballing authorities - chief executive Jon Varney, director of football Phil Giles, and chairman Cliff Crown - will all remain in their current roles.

In a statement on the club’s website, Brentford said that the investment “reinforces Brentford’s ambitions for continued growth on and off the pitch. Equity and financing from the new shareholders will not only enable greater investment in the squad but also create enhanced commercial opportunities and help grow Brentford’s reach and impact locally and beyond.”

Brentford are preparing for their fifth season in the top flight, but it will be their first without Thomas Frank in the dugout after the Dane departed for Tottenham.

Now, they have a fresh face, first-time manager Keith Andrews.

Sir Matthew Vaughn and his wife, Claudia Schiffer

Getty Images

Who are Brentford’s new co-owners?

Vaughn is one of the most revered British filmmakers. He founded MARV Studios, which has been responsible for the production of films such as the Kingsman franchise, Kick-Ass, and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels.

He was knighted last year in the Prime Minister’s Resignation Honours for services to the creative industries. He married former supermodel Claudia Schiffer in 2002.

Lubner, meanwhile, is the founder of This Day Foundation - a charity aimed at providing opportunities to young people from all walks of life.

He was also the chief executive of Belron, the leading vehicle glass repair company.

Speaking of his new investment, Vaughn said that the west London club had first been brought to his attention by an actor, who called the Bees “a great club to invest in”.

“My journey with Brentford began 25 years ago when an actor suggested it would be a ‘great club to invest in’ and I’ve followed their progress ever since with well-earned respect,” Vaughn said.

"Some years later, an agent made the same suggestion and so I went to a game, and it was the most unique, intimate, and yet epic match I had ever been to.

"As he showed me around the stadium and introduced me to the brilliant owner and exceptional management team, all I could hear was the voice of the actor who first told me about the club echoing in my head, saying ‘You should have listened to me, it would have been much cheaper 25 years ago!’

He added that he wanted to build on the “amazing foundations” at the Gtech Community Stadium.

“There is a uniquely universal respect for this club in the football world, and I too share in this admiration deeply,” Vaughn continued.

“So here I am, embarking on a new chapter of my life where I will give my all to help build on the amazing foundations that have been laid on and off the pitch.”

Lubner said that he was looking forward to bringing the club closer to it communities.