Mike Ashley: I was behind Peter Cowgill’s JD Sports downfall Retail Billionaire businessman Mike Ashley has admitted he masterminded the infamous car park footage leak that brought down his arch rival, JD Sports’ boss Peter Cowgill. Cowgill, who was executive chairman of JD Sports, quit the sportswear retailer in 2022 after being fined by the competition watchdog over a car park rendezvous with the boss of [...]
Mike Ashley appeal case confronts ‘unjust’ trademark claims Legal Billionaire businessman Mike Ashley‘s company, Sports Direct, is back before the court today as it seeks to challenge damages awarded in a trademark infringement claim. The appeal follows a long-running dispute between Sports Direct and the Beverly Hills Polo Club brand, owned and managed by Lifestyle Equities, which claimed Sports Direct had infringed its trademark through products [...]
Exclusive: Frasers Group acquires stake in athletic giant Puma Retail Frasers Group has taken a stake in athletic giant Puma, City AM can reveal. Retail giant Frasers has acquired 246,000 shares in the athletic group, according to German filings published on Thursday. Puma’s share price currently stands at €22.50, meaning this 5.77 per cent stake is worth more than €5.5m. Frasers Group, founded by British [...]
Debenhams clinches equity raise after share price spook February 19, 2026 Debenhams Group successfully closed its equity fundraise above its initial £35m target despite a stock market spook which saw its shares drop by 20 per cent. The fashion group, which recently rebranded from Boohoo Group, had pitched the equity raise as central to its turnaround from significant struggles in recent years. Debenhams Group, which owns [...]
Exclusive: RPC to lose Mike Ashley’s ‘rainmaker’ lawyer February 13, 2026 City law firm RPC is set to lose one of its highest-billing lawyers, who represents the retail titan Mike Ashley. Long-term partner Jeremy Drew will leave the firm after nearly 20 years in the solicitor’s retail and commercial department, which he also co-led. The star lawyer has been a long-term adviser to Mike Ashley, the [...]
Mike Ashley confronts Asos board in latest retail row January 24, 2026 Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group voted against resolutions at online fashion retailer Asos’s general meeting, sparking fears that the high street magnate could prompt further disruptions at listed companies. Various company resolutions were passed by Asos on Friday afternoon but Ashley looked to spoil the party with disruptive votes in meetings, it has been reported. The [...]
Frasers Group chairman urges Unite to avoid ‘reckless’ strike October 3, 2025 The chairman of retail giant Frasers Group has urged Unite the Union to avoid “reckless and irresponsible” strike action as retail firms across the UK feel the crunch of rising cost pressures. Sir Jonathan Thompson, who took the role of Chair in September, has asked the Union’s General Secretary Sharon Graham to reconsider plans to [...]
Profit slashed at Mike Ashley-backed Hugo Boss September 10, 2025 Profit at the UK arm of Hugo Boss, which counts Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group as a major shareholder, has been slashed for a second consecutive year. The London-headquartered division of the German group has posted a pre-tax profit of £9m for 2024, down from the £16.8m it achieved in 2023 and £30.4m in 2022. New [...]
Mike Ashley’s investments double to £1bn thanks to Hugo Boss shares July 17, 2025 The total value of the stakes Mike Ashley’s empire holds in the likes of Hugo Boss, AO World and Boohoo have doubled to £1bn in just over a year, it has been revealed. According to the group’s latest financial results, which have been filed with the London Stock Exchange, the value of its investments in [...]
Mike Ashley tightens grip on Hugo Boss amid dividend demand July 4, 2025 Frasers Group, the retail empire controlled by billionaire Mike Ashley, has tightened its grip on Hugo Boss after upping its stake. The owner of Sports Direct and House of Fraser has increased its shareholding in the German giant to in excess off 32 per cent. In a statement, Frasers Group said it “continues to consider [...]