David Gold wife: who is Lesley Manning, was West Ham co-chairman married before, does he have children?

The West Ham co-chairman was with Manning for more than a decade before his death in January 2023
David Gold and Lesley Manning were engaged for 15 years before his death in 2023. (Credit: Getty Images)David Gold and Lesley Manning were engaged for 15 years before his death in 2023. (Credit: Getty Images)
David Gold and Lesley Manning were engaged for 15 years before his death in 2023. (Credit: Getty Images)

The world of football was in mourning after it was announced that West Ham co-chairman David Gold passed away aged 86 after a short illness. The businessman’s passing was confirmed by the club on 4 January 2023.

Gold was known for his business acumen while also being known for his family life. In a statement confirming his death, West Ham said that its co-chairman had passed away peacefully surrounded by his family.

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The businessman was married for 15 years to Beryl Hunt. He would later find love with Lesley Manning, to whom he was engaged for 15 years before his death.

He also welcomed two children throughout his lifetime. His daughters would go on to share their father’s business know-how to expand the Gold empire.

But who was his fiancé - and what happened during his first marriage? Here’s everything you need to know about David Gold’s family life.

Who is Lesley Manning?

Lesley Manning was Gold’s long-term fiancé. The pair were engaged for 15 years at the time of his death in January 2023.

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Manning met Gold in 1998 in a tapas bar in London. Gold said that he and his future fiancé had “instant chemistry” upon meeting through a mutual friend.

Prior to her relationship with Gold, Manning was out of the public eye. She is said to have worked as a beauty therapist and owned her own salon before becoming engaged to the West Ham chairman.

Gold described Manning as making him feel like a “teenager again” throughout their romance. They resided in a mansion in Caterham, Surrey.

In 2007, the pair got engaged, nine years after they first met. They remained engaged up until Gold’s death in 2023.

Was David Gold married?

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Prior to his relationship with Manning, Gold had been married to Beryl Hunt. The couple had married in 1957, but were divorced by 1972.

The marriage broke apart after Gold arrived home to find Hunt having an affair with his best friend. Speaking of the incident in his 2006 biography Pure Gold: My Autobiography- The Ultimate Rags to Riches Tale, Gold said: “I walked through the front door into the study and stood looking out of the window down on to the swimming pool, and there in the water was my wife and my best friend, John, having sex.”

The revelation of the affair came shortly after Gold had received distressing news in his business. Gold had only found out hours earlier that his father had taken his brother’s shares in the Gold Group International.

Does David Gold have children?

Despite their marriage ending in divorce, both Gold and Hunt welcomed two children during their time together; Jacqueline Gold, born in 1960, and Vanessa Gold, born in 1966.

His children share their father’s knack for business. Jacqueline went on to found lingerie giant Ann Summers and Kickerbox Ltd. Vanessa also serves as manager director of both companies.

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