Hugo Boss AG

Sir David Beckham has received a roughly £38.5 million payout from his media, fashion and sports empire after pre-tax profits at his holding company leapt 47% to £50 million for 2025. DRJB Holdings, which combines all his brands, paid dividends of £38.9 million to shareholders, with a further £46.6 million paid out after the end of the financial year. The group is jointly owned by Sir David's company Footwork Productions, which holds 45%, and US consumer giant Authentic Brands Group, which owns the remaining 55% after investing in the business in 2022. David Beckham Brands saw revenues rise 20% to £84.0 million for the year, supported by a new multi-year partnership with Bank of America ahead of the 2026 Fifa World Cup, as well as contracts with McDonald's, Verizon and PepsiCo Lay's. During 2025, Sir David also launched his first co-designed menswear collections for Hugo Boss, new David Beckham Eyewear collections with Safilo and a second model of limited edition Adidas Predator football boots.

Hugo Boss has appointed Michael Murray, the chief executive of Frasers, as its new chairman, tightening Mike Ashley's grip on the German fashion brand. Mr Murray, who is Mr Ashley's son-in-law, was elected head of the supervisory board on Tuesday morning, just 24 hours after Stephan Sturm stepped down amid pressure from Frasers. The appointment marks a victory for Mr Ashley's retail giant, which has built a stake of about 48pc in Hugo Boss after launching a takeover attempt earlier this year, and Frasers has said it intends to increase its holding beyond 50pc, which would give it majority control of the German retailer. Hugo Boss also said Robert Palmer, a former company secretary at Frasers and one of Mr Ashley's senior lieutenants, would join its supervisory board, subject to appointment by the local court. Mr Sturm had been chairman for just 16 months, having been elected in May 2025, and Hugo Boss terminated its share buyback programme earlier this month after Frasers said it intended to take its stake above 50pc.

Mike Ashley's Frasers Group has declared its £1.7 billion all-cash takeover bid for Hugo Boss final, giving the German fashion house until July 27 to decide. Frasers said it will not increase the €38 per share offer, which represents less than a 5% premium to the pre-bid closing price. The group already holds a 26% stake in Hugo Boss and backs the current management team and strategy, pledging to limit dividends to the legally required minimum. Hugo Boss shares dipped slightly to €37.57 following the update, after having climbed above the offer price since the bid was announced earlier this month.

Frasers Group plc has published the offer document for its voluntary public takeover offer for all outstanding shares of HUGO BOSS AG. The German version and a non-binding English translation are available free of charge from BNP Paribas in Frankfurt and online at https://www.fg-germany.com. The offer, approved by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority, is governed exclusively by German law. Frasers Group may also acquire HUGO BOSS shares outside the offer under certain conditions, with any higher consideration triggering an adjustment of the offer price.