Sammie Ellard-King
I’m Sammie, a money expert and business owner passionate about helping you take control of your wallet. My mission with Up the Gains is to create a safe space to help improve your finances, cut your costs and make you feel good while doing it.
KSI has done a lot of things over the years. YouTube, boxing, music, launching a drinks brand worth hundreds of millions.
But this one might be the most unexpected move yet.
The 32-year-old has bought a 20% stake in Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club.
That’s a sixth-tier side currently sitting 13th in the National League South. And he says he wants to take them to the Premier League.
Yes, really.
I’m so excited to start this journey. It’s gonna be a rollercoaster for sure but I hope to bring Dagenham and Redbridge (@Dag_RedFC) back to the glory days. For those of you that are OG fans (Race to Division One), you’ll know that this is a full circle moment for me. So join me… pic.twitter.com/GosGKRtPR6
— ksi (@KSI) March 3, 2026
So Why Dagenham of All Clubs?
This is where it gets interesting. If you’ve been following KSI since the early days, you might remember his “Race to Division One” FIFA series on YouTube.
The club he picked for that series? Dagenham & Redbridge.
He called it a “full circle moment” when he announced the deal on X. And honestly, it’s hard to argue with that.
The man built a chunk of his early YouTube career around this club in a video game, and now he actually owns part of it.
More news:
Who Else Is Involved?
KSI isn’t going it alone.
He’s joining the Happy Fan Group, a U.S.-based investment consortium led by businessman John Grabowski. They took over Dagenham from the previous owners, Club Underdog, earlier this year. The deal has already been approved by the National League and the FA.
There’s another familiar name in the mix too.
Andy Carroll – yes, the former Newcastle, Liverpool and West Ham striker – has also taken an ownership stake in the club.
And Anwar Uddin MBE has come back as Non-Executive Chairman. Uddin is a proper Daggers legend.
He made 225 appearances for the club, captained them to the National League title, and led them to promotion to League One through the play-offs. So there’s real football knowledge in the room, not just celebrity money.
What's KSI Actually Worth?
KSI – real name Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji – has built a business empire that goes well beyond YouTube.
He co-founded PRIME Hydration with Logan Paul, which has become one of the biggest drinks brands in the world.
His estimated net worth sits around £80 million in liquid assets, with his PRIME equity potentially worth several hundred million more on top of that.
Across all his social media accounts, he’s got about 75 million followers. So if nothing else, Dagenham & Redbridge just became one of the most followed sixth-tier clubs on the planet.
How Far Away Is the Premier League, Really?
Let’s be honest about the gap here. Dagenham are currently in the National League South – that’s the sixth tier of English football. To reach the Premier League, they’d need six promotions. Six.
That means getting out of the National League South, then the National League, then League Two, League One, the Championship, and finally into the Premier League. Even clubs with serious money behind them rarely manage that kind of climb.
But KSI seems to know it’s not happening overnight. In his announcement video, he said he’s thinking in “realistic stages” and that the first goal is simply getting promoted out of this league and into the National League.
Is This Just a Celebrity Vanity Project?
It’s a fair question.
We’ve seen plenty of celebrity owners come into football, make big promises, and then lose interest when things get difficult.
But there are a few things that make this one feel a bit different. The connection to the club goes back years through his FIFA content.
The ownership group includes people with actual football experience in Anwar Uddin. And KSI has shown with PRIME and his other businesses that he’s not someone who just dabbles – he tends to go all in.
Whether that translates to football success is another story entirely.
Running a football club is nothing like running a drinks brand or a YouTube channel.
The money alone doesn’t guarantee anything, especially at the lower levels where the margins are tight and the infrastructure is basic.
What Happens Next for the Daggers?
Right now, Dagenham are mid-table in the National League South with 13 games of the season still to play. They were relegated from the National League on the last day of last season, so the mood around Victoria Road hasn’t been great.
KSI turning up with cameras and cash could give the club a genuine lift. More eyes on the club means more sponsorship interest, more shirt sales, and more bums on seats. At this level of football, that stuff really matters.
He’s already said he’ll be at Victoria Road this Saturday and that he’ll be streaming it too.
So if you want to see what a YouTuber-turned-football-owner looks like on a cold afternoon in Dagenham, now’s your chance.
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