Latest news with #GaryLubner
The South African
17-07-2025
- Business
- The South African
Gary Lubner: Humanitarian Charities and the Labour Party
Philanthropist Gary Lubner recently gave an interview with The Times where he discussed his support for the UK Labour Party and support for humanitarian causes. Lubner was previously CEO of multinational glass repair company Belron, but since retiring in 2023, he has dedicated his time to transforming lives through philanthropic initiatives and political giving. Although Gary Lubner has been a philanthropist for many years, he has recently become a major financial backer of the Labour Party. His involvement began in 2021 when he met the then-shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves at a business dinner and went on to visit her a few weeks later. Struck by the party's lack of infrastructure – and Reeves needing to book her own train tickets – Lubner donated £42,000 for her to hire a personal assistant. This initial donation soon grew into an ongoing commitment to the party. He has since donated over £5 million to help level the playing field between Labour and the better-funded Conservative and Reform Parties. Lubner doesn't ask for anything in return. He has told The Times that he simply aims to 'change the lives of millions of people,' made possible by working with the government. Moving forward, he plans to support Labour through future elections and help the party win these. Insiders consider him an anomaly in the political sphere – uninterested in recognition, policy influence, or peerage. 'The thing about Gary,' one of Keir Starmer's allies told The Times , 'is that he's the closest thing there is to a straightforwardly good person in politics.' Gary Lubner's commitment to supporting social and political organisations roots back to his upbringing in apartheid-era South Africa. As a child living in a white, wealthy, Jewish family, he was disconnected from the country's institutionalised racism. Lubner recalls seeing a photograph of a 1970s West Ham team in the magazine Shoot! This photo featured Bermudian striker Clyde Best, one of only two Black players on the squad. It was in this revelatory moment that Lubner decided to support West Ham. At the time, he had limited access to football and could only follow it through the BBC World Service and old copies of this magazine. 'It was all about this guy,' he told The Times . '[My brother and I] never knew that different races could play together.' When Lubner finished school, he worked for the police in Johannesburg and witnessed apartheid from the inside. Disturbed by what he saw, he resisted by warning individuals of incoming raids and falsifying paperwork to avoid imposing punishments on Black South Africans. Lubner told The Times : 'I made a very clear choice early on in the police force that I was going to do everything that I could to effectively go against the apartheid system.' Years later, working at Belron in the UK, Lubner reluctantly turned down a deal to sponsor West Ham in favour of sponsoring Chelsea. Nonetheless, he still has a 1970s West Ham poster in his office. During Gary Lubner's childhood, his family, who had once donated to the ruling National Party, became close with Nelson Mandela and supported the abolition of apartheid. Like other family members, Lubner also went on to work with Mandela, serving on the board of the Nelson Mandela Legacy Trust in the 1990s. He is still a trustee today. 'I spent quite a lot of time with [Mandela],' Lubner told The Times . 'He used to come over. I used to take my kids to meet him … He had been without kids for 27 years, so he just loved being with kids.' Critics have tried to reposition Lubner's family history to undermine him. One left-wing website became liable for libel damages, which Lubner donated to the Community Security Trust for British Jews and the World Central Kitchen. Gary Lubner's philanthropic efforts have been long-standing. Even during his education and corporate career, he sought ways to support others, founding Jews for Social Justice while studying accountancy at the University of Cape Town. Years later, he also persuaded senior executives at Belron to join him in forgoing some of their shares. This meant that every employee could receive a €10,000 gift when he stepped down as CEO. Today, he funds initiatives fostering social cohesion in small towns across the UK and early childhood and youth unemployment charities in South Africa. According to Jewish News, approximately 70% of the funds from his charitable foundation support the latter. Beyond the This Day Foundation, Lubner's other philanthropic organisations include The Belron Ronnie Lubner Charitable Foundation and Football Academy Noah. Meanwhile, his educational initiatives include The Gary Lubner Scholarship, Afrika Tikkun, and One to One Children's Fund. Lubner is now also Labour's biggest donor. He continues to finance the party with a wider view to support society. In Lubner's own words, giving back isn't about recognition or legacy. It's about allocating resources where they can make a real difference and addressing inequities that leave others behind.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Brentford: Premier League side land new investment from Hollywood director
Brentford have announced the arrival of two minority shareholders, with one of them a major Hollywood name. Film director Sir Matthew Vaughn and philanthropist Gary Lubner have purchased stakes in the Bees. Advertisement 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.' Advertisement Chief executive Varney believes the investment will help the club build on its recent success - a 10th-placed finish in the Premier League last term - and he insisted that Vaughn and Lubner were 'aligned' with the club's values. 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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement "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. Advertisement '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.
BBC News
15-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Brentford welcome new investors
British filmmaker Sir Matthew Vaughn and philanthropist and businessman Gary Lubner have become minority shareholders of Brentford Football who founded MARV, is known for producing films such as the Kingsman franchise, Kick-Ass and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Benham, who took control of the club in 2012, remains the majority shareholder and it appears some of the freshly raised funds will be used to bolster the a statement, the club said the new investment "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".Lubnerhave is the founder of This Day Foundation and former chief executive of said: "Brentford stands for more than just football. Its commitment to community, integrity, and social progress reflects the values I care deeply about."Vaughn added: "There is a uniquely universal respect for this club in the football world, and I too share in this admiration deeply. "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."The pair have become minority shareholders through their investment in Best Intentions Analytics, the holding company for Brentford Football Club and Merida AD. Brentford chief executive Jon Varney said: "It is vital to us that any new investors understand and reflect the values of our club."Since we first met Gary and Matthew, we have been aligned on how they can make a positive impact."They bring different but complementary expertise, and I am excited to see what we can collectively achieve."
Daily Mail
15-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Supermodel Claudia Schiffer's film-maker husband invests in Premier League football club in '£400m deal'- and reveals one regret in doing so
Brentford are taking the next step in their dizzying rise by welcoming the investment of two new parties - including a sprinkle of Hollywood. Supermodel Claudia Schiffer's film-maker husband Sir Matthew Vaughn and philanthropist Gary Lubner have joined the London club as minority shareholders. It comes a day after Sky News reported that majority owner Matthew Benham had clinched a deal to sell stakes worth a total of £400m to new investors. Benham took full control of the Bees in 2012 when they were in League One and has overseen their rise to the top half of the Premier League. Schiffer, who holds more covers than any model in history, married Vaughn in 2002, the year after they had met at a Los Angeles dinner party. They now have three kids together. Vaughn is a co-creator of the Kingsman franchise, directed X-Men: First Class, and was director and producer of 2024 film Argylle among other achievements. Brentford will take their fresh cash into the new season with optimism after finishing 10th in the Premier League last term. They have lost manager long-serving Thomas Frank to Tottenham but appointed Keith Andrews, their former set-piece coach, in his place. Their next steps will involve Jordan Henderson, who has signed on a two-year deal, though they have sold captain Christian Norgaard to Arsenal for £15million and could yet offload Bryan Mbeumo to Manchester United for north of £60m. On their new investors, chief executive Jon Varney said: 'This is an exciting time for Brentford. The club has enjoyed significant success in recent years, and this investment will build on that progress to help us continue to challenge in both on-pitch performance and off-pitch commercial growth. 'It is vital to us that any new investors understand and reflect the values of our club. Since we first met Gary and Matthew, we have been aligned on how they can make a positive impact. They bring different but complementary expertise, and I am excited to see what we can collectively achieve. Vaughn admitted he regretted not investing in Brentford sooner: '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. '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!"' Lubner, founder of This Day Foundation and former chief executive of Belron, added: 'Brentford stands for more than just football. Its commitment to community, integrity and social progress reflects the values I care deeply about. 'I'm proud to support a club where success on the pitch goes hand in hand with meaningful impact off it - especially through the incredible work of Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, which changes lives every day across west London.' Vaughn and Lubner have invested in Brentford's holding company Best Intentions Analytics (BIA).
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Premier League club Brentford to sell stake at £400m valuation
The owner of Brentford Football Club has clinched a deal to sell a minority stake in the Premier League side to new investors at a valuation of roughly £400m. Sky News has learnt that an agreement that will involve current owner Matthew Benham offloading a chunk of his holding to Gary Lubner - the wealthy businessman who ran Autoglass-owner Belron - is expected to be announced as early as Tuesday. Matthew Vaughn, the Hollywood film-maker whose credits include Layer Cake and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, is also expected to invest in Brentford as part of the deal, The Athletic reported last month. Further details of the transaction were unclear on Monday night, although one insider speculated that it could ultimately see as much as 25% of the club changing hands. If confirmed, it would underline the continuing interest from wealthy investors in top-flight English clubs. FA Cup winners Crystal Palace have seen a minority stake being bought by Woody Johnson, the New York Jets-owner, in the last few weeks, with that deal hastened by the implications of former shareholder John Textor's simultaneous ownership of a stake in French club Lyon. Sky News revealed in February 2024 that Mr Benham had hired bankers at Rothschild to market a stake in Brentford. Under Mr Benham's stewardship, it has enjoyed one of the most successful transformations in English football, rising from the lower divisions to the top division in 2021. It has also moved from its long-standing Griffin Park home to a new stadium near Kew Bridge. This summer is proving to be one of transition, with manager Thomas Frank joining Tottenham Hotspur and striker Bryan Mbeumo the subject of persistent interest from Manchester United. Brentford did not respond to a request for comment on Monday night, while a spokesman for Mr Lubner declined to comment.
