Sunderland chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has admitted he owns just a 41 per cent stake in the League One club, The Athletic can reveal.Louis-Dreyfus, who became the EFL’s youngest chairman aged 23 when first arriving into English football 12 months ago, has only ever stated he has a “controlling stake” in Sunderland.The previous ownership group, comprising of Stewart Donald, Juan Sartori and Charlie Methven, were known to have retained a shareholding but the club previously told fans in November that details could not be revealed due to “confidentiality clauses” in the takeover deal.Fans have been promised “openness and transparency” by Louis-Dreyfus, son of Robert — the former owner of Marseille — and it is now known that the Swiss owns less than a majority shareholding.In response to questions put to Sunderland by The Athletic, a club statement to supporters confirmed Louis-Dreyfus owns 41 per cent, with Donald — who previously held a majority between 2018 and 2021 — still holding a 34 per cent stake.Sartori, a Uruguayan businessman and political figure, continues to own his original 20 per cent stake, with Methven also retaining five per cent.It means Sunderland’s pre-existing ownership group owns a greater combined shareholding than Louis-Dreyfus but the club are eager to stress that it is the current chairman that is still the key decision-maker ahead of his first anniversary at the Stadium of Light this week.(Photo: Richard Sellers/PA Images via Getty Images)
