While Levi left Tottenham, the team received new investment in the "new era". And Levi's son Josh continues to serve as co-CEO of the Lewis family's Tavistock Group. The Daily Telegraph author Matt Law and Sam Wallace wrote an article about the story behind Levi's departure.
Earlier, Levi's Tottenham era officially came to an end.
Just as Levi left, it was reported that the Lewis Family Trust and ENIC Group will inject major new investment into Tottenham to help the team achieve sustained success at the competitive level. According to the Daily Telegraph exclusive report, more than 100 million pounds of funds are expected to be injected into the club, fully supporting ENIC's goal of ensuring Tottenham remains competitive on all fronts.
A source close to the Lewis family stressed that Levi's departure is not part of the Tottenham plan to sell, which means investment must be made to try to compete with teams such as Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal.
Speaking of which, Levi proposed the possibility of new investment at this time last year, but now the funds are in place, he cannot witness it. Perhaps because of this, the 63-year-old Tottenham Hotspur’s friends revealed that Levi was heartbroken by his departure.
In Tottenham's latest financial report, Levi warned the team that they must live within their means, but the team still spent about £150 million to sign ups this summer. For some time, insiders have been calling for investment to pay transaction fees and ensure that funds are available in the future transfer window. Now this investment is reported to be in place.
Tottenham Power "Genre"
Tottenham does not rule out the possibility of another attempt to sign Savigno from Manchester City in January, and coach Frank has also been eager to introduce a new central defender.
A source close to the Lewis family reiterated that Levi left office and refused to comment on the new investment, which could be achieved in a number of ways.
Levi's departure may also unlock a naming agreement for the club's £1 billion stadium, which is Tottenham's long-term goal. Shortly after the stadium was opened, Levi had hoped to reach a 15-year naming agreement worth £25 million a year, bringing the club a world record revenue of £375 million, but failed to find a company that matched its valuation. The possibility of the Lewis Family Trust's final attempt to acquire 29.88% of Tottenham shares (partial or all) held by Lewis is not ruled out, although it is too early to discuss.
"He will be heartbroken"
reported that Levi learned that he had stepped down a few hours before the official announcement, and sources close to him said that leaving office and its methods would deal a heavy blow. A colleague of Levi told reporters: "I haven't talked to him yet, but he'll be heartbroken. This was supposed to be his time to enjoy Tottenham, but it was taken away." A friend added: "Spurs are his life, so yes, he's certainly heartbroken. Judging from the work and the way he talked in recent days, he didn't seem to have foreseeed this." What aggravates Levi's sense of being raided was that his right-hand man Donna Karen sent a farewell email to employees on Monday, calling him "a truly visionary leader" and expressing excitement for the future.
Levi's son survived the "Inheritance War"-style power struggle
In this "Inheritance War"-style coup that forced his father to step down, Levi's son Josh will continue to serve as the co-CEO of the Tavistock Group.
Tavistock Group is ENIC's private investment company, Tottenham's largest shareholder, controlled by the Lewis Family Trust. Vivian Lewis and Charles Lewis (both children of Joe Lewis) are Tavistock managing directors, and Josh Levi and Nick Bocher serve as co-CEOs.
The family has a deep involvement in Tavistock and Tottenham. Insiders compare Levi's withdrawal to the plot of the popular drama "The Battle of Inheritance" - a story about the business empire and internal struggles of wealthy American families.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the Tavistock Group participated in operations and sports reviews conducted by the US consulting firm Gib River, paving the way for Levi to leave Tottenham.
Tottenham's "new era"
Vivian and Charles are also seen as key figures in the process of Karen's resignation and the appointment of ENIC director Peter Charlington as Tottenham's non-executive chairman and Bevinham as CEO.
Given that the Lewis Family Trust is a majority shareholder of Tottenham, Vivian and Charles are expected to have greater power in the club, which sources close to the family call "a new era."
In view of the group's role in the departure of his father to Tottenham, insiders question whether Josh Levi will continue to serve as CEO of Tavistock.
But sources close to Tavistock insisted that there was no plan to let Josh leave and he remained the group's co-CEO.
It is understood that the relevant process deliberately kept Josh away from the process that led to his father leaving Tottenham, and he did not participate. It is reported that his main responsibilities in Tavistock revolve around other parts of the group's extensive portfolio. Josh often visits Tottenham and often sits next to his father during games.
Who is managing Tottenham?
The new key figure in daily management today marks a huge change in the club's modern history, ridding away from the long-standing Premier League feature - Levi's one-man show. Levi's departure from Tottenham was driven mainly by the two children of 88-year-old billionaire Joe Lewis, who now control 70% of ENIC through the Lewis Family Trust. ENIC shares are owned by the Tavistock Group, a family investment company. ENIC owns 86.58% of Tottenham's shares and is the controlling force. Less than 30% of the remaining ENIC shares are maintained by Lessell. .
1. Vivian Lewis
As the daughter of Joe Lewis and his first wife Este Brown, Vivian, 63, is now one of the most powerful women in European football.. She and her younger brother Charles inherited the father's empire through a family trust established in 2022. Tottenham's first Premier League match against Burnley this season, she watched the game with Levi. There is no doubt who controls the club now.
She married entrepreneur Toby Silverton, who owns 50% of the British traditional automaker Bristol Automobile Company, which was later sold to the Lewis family investment company Tavistock Group. The now divorced couple has two children. Daughter Joanna is now married to Nick Bocher, one of the co-CEOs of Tavistock.
Vivian is described as a loyal Tottenham fan and has a strong interest in art. Father’s wealth means they not only control Tottenham, but also have a wide private art collection – Vivian is said to be particularly interested in both. She is Tavistock Senior Managing Director and Board Member. She also serves as chairman of the Family Charity Foundation, which allegedly has a wide range of charitable projects.
Among the numerous assets of the Tavistock Group, headquartered in the Bahamas, Vivian is the chairman of its golf and country club business.
2. Charles Lewis
As Vivian's younger brother, he also serves on the Tavistock board of directors and is a senior managing director like his sister. His specialty is in the catering industry, and Tavistock says he has participated in the opening of about 150 high-end catering companies in North and South America. He also owns a Hard Rock Restaurant franchise in the Caribbean and South America. The company's biography says he has worked in London, Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, Orlando and Nassau, Bahamas.
Among other projects in Tavistock, Charles is involved in the $1 billion Pier Sixty-Six development near Fort Lauderdale, and Lake Nona "Aviation City" near Orlando International Airport.
3. Nick Bocher
As the husband of Vivian's daughter Joanna, Bocher is an American, serving as Tavistock board member and co-CEO of Tavistock with Daniel Levi's son Josh. Bocher was originally responsible for sales of Lake Nona development projects in Tavistock. He is now responsible for Tavistock's wider real estate development and investment responsibilities in the United States and in the Caribbean and South America.
It is said that he played football when he was young and switched to American football in college. He is a member of the board of directors of the Orlando Magic Foundation, an NBA team. He holds a Master of Sport Business Administration from the University of Central Florida and may have a strong interest in Tottenham operations.
4. Peter Charlington
The new Tottenham chairman is Joe Lewis' long-term confidant. Charlington is a well-known business figure in the United States, the Bahamas and Europe, and is a consultant to wealthy families in the Caribbean. He worked for Citibank for 26 years, of which he served as CEO of Citibank for 6 years. He worked in private equity consulting, advised New York company One Equity Partners, and therefore served on the board of directors of some of the UK companies he was interested in. He is a director of ENIC. He also serves on the board of directors of Avaloq, a Swiss wealth management technology company.
After Joe Lewis handed over control of the family assets to a trust controlled by his heirs, Charlington seemed to be the trusted and experienced wise man who guided the next generation.