| David Clowes | |
| Birth Date: | April 1969 |
| Birth Place: | United Kingdom |
| Occupation: | Construction, Development, Football Chairman |
David Clowes is an English businessman who is known for being the current owner of the Championship football club Derby County, and Clowes Developments, a British Construction and real estate development company. Clowes is currently a director of 45 companies.[1]
According to the Sunday Times Rich List 2023, David Clowes and family rank 345th with a net worth of £350,000,000.[2]
Clowes trained as a pilot for British Midland International in 2000, and continued flying for British Midland until 2012.[3]
On 26 June 2022, after Clowes had purchased Pride Park Stadium,[4] his bid to buy the club was accepted, and Quantuma granted Clowes preferred bidder status. The administrators said Clowes's offer complied with EFL insolvency policy, meaning Derby would avoid a further points deduction. The deal, and the club's exit from administration, was eventually confirmed on 1 July 2022,[5] though some constraints on transfers were agreed by the EFL and Derby's new owners. The club's transfer embargo was finally lifted in May 2023.[6]
In June 2023, Clowes said that had he not taken over the club, they might have entered liquidation a week later.[7]
According to 2023 published accounts by Clowes Developments, David Clowes purchased Derby County F.C. for £13.2m and also paid Mel Morris £1 for Pride Park.[8] Kieran Maguire, a football finance expert,[9] described David Clowes as a "Saint", following these accounts being published.[10]
Clowes has been quoted as claiming to be a lifelong Derby County F.C. fan.[11]
Clowes Developments are a nationwide real estate development company based in the UK. In 2022 they held over £300,000,000 of property assets.
David Clowes has been Director of Clowes Developments since 4 May 1991,[12] and took over as Group Chairman after his father, Charles W Clowes, died in 2015.[13] [14] David's brother Thomas Clowes has been managing director of Clowes Developments since August 2023.[15]