Biggest executive payouts in football history including Daniel Levy’s Tottenham millions and eye-watering Chelsea fee

DANIEL LEVY pocketed £27million after he was axed by Tottenham Hotspur last year, as he joined a list of massive Prem payouts. The businessman, 64, had served as executive chairman in North London since 2001, but was ousted after nearly a quarter of a century in September 2025. Daniel Levy’s massive Spurs exit fee puts him second on the list of the largest Prem payouts Credit: Alamy Marina Granovskaia tops the list with her £35million golden handshake at Chelsea Credit: PA The club hierarchy felt that results had become unacceptable under his watch, and that a change was needed. But the £27m fee is certainly a high price to pay for a shake-up, with the number becoming the second-largest payout ever for a Prem executive, against some stiff competition. Sign up for the Chelsea newsletter Thank you! It is just eight million off the record tally of £35m that was paid to Marina Granovskaia in 2022. The Russian executive was Roman Abramovich‘s right-hand for more than a decade, and was named chief executive of the Blues in 2014. Her ruthless transfer dealings gave her a fierce reputation at the top level of the game. But she left following the conclusion of the 2021/22 season after a takeover of the club by Clearlake Capital. She did not leave empty handed, pocketing the massive sum, in line with her huge impact during her time in West London. Other club figures, including chairman Bruce Buck, executive Guy Laurence and director Eugene Tenenbaum, split a hefty pot of £14m in compensation following the takeover. Most read in Sport SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET UP TO £100 BONUS Even split, the payoffs represent some of the biggest the league has produced for the executives. They are comparable to the fee Donna-Maria Cullen secured during her Spurs exit years later. Spurs and Chelsea seem to have dominated the payout game in recent years, with Cullen being a close colleague of Levy during his days at the club. But she elected to step down in June last year in order to spend more time with family. Chelsea’s Bruce Buck and his team were given a further £14million during Clearlake Capital’s Blues takeover Credit: Getty Images – Getty She will have plenty of cash to splash on her loved ones after receiving a £6.6m payout upon her departure. That figure dwarfs that of businessman Lee Charnley, whose job was a victim of the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s takeover in 2021. Charnley stepped away from the club following a handover period, after 22 years in his role as a director. But he did so £900,000 richer thanks to a generous redundancy package. Donna-Maria Cullen left Spurs with a £6.6million payout, just months before Levy stepped down Credit: PA Lee Charnley took almost £1m home after leaving Newcastle Credit: PA:Press Association Comment now