Filmmaker Sir Matthew Vaughn Buys Stake in Brentford FC

Joins with Gary Lubner to take become minority shareholder

Sir Matthew Vaughn (left), Gary Lubner (right). Picture: Instgram/LinkedIn

July 15, 2025

Sir Matthew Vaughn, best known for producing films such as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and also being married to Claudia Schiffer, has bought a stake in Brentford FC.

The purchase of shares in Best Intentions Analytics, the holding company for the club which was formed earlier this year to enable outside investment, was made along with philanthropist and businessman Gary Lubner. Matthew Benham remains the club’s majority shareholder, having taken full control of Brentford FC in 2012.

Vaughn founded MARV and is one of Britain’s most successful independent filmmakers, whose other work includes the Kingsman and Kick-Ass franchises. He was seen with his supermodel wife at the G-Tech Community Stadium at a Premier League game last season prompting speculation about potential investment interest.

South African-born Lubner is the founder of This Day Foundation, which focuses on early childhood development, youth unemployment in South Africa, and refugee support in the UK. He is the former chief executive of Belron, the parent company of Autoglass, Carglass and Safelite.

The club says that equity and financing from the new shareholders will not only enable greater investment in the squad but also create enhanced commercial opportunities as the club prepares for its fifth-straight season in the top flight.

No details have been released about the amount invested or the size of the stake taken but earlier reports suggested between 10-20% of the shares were available for £40million to £80m, valuing the club at £400m. It is not clear if this represents new capital for the club or a sale of existing equity.

Matthew Benham retains day-to-day control and the club’s leadership team, including chief executive Jon Varney, director of football Phil Giles and chair Cliff Crown remains unchanged.

Brentford 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.

“Matthew Benham remains a committed majority shareholder who has brought the club an incredibly long way in a short space of time. Together with our new investors we have a shared ambition for continued growth and to thrive in the world’s most competitive football league.

“We thank our fans for their loyalty and support as we keep driving the club forward.”

Gary Lubner said, “I am a strong believer in the power of sport to build and unite communities and I have been hugely impressed by the values on which this great club has been established and continues to thrive.

“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.

“I look forward to helping grow and develop this work, and contributing to Brentford’s continued success, on and off the pitch.”

Sir Matthew Vaughn said, “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!’

“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.”