However, he also indicated he will stick with Newcastle even if they are relegated at the end of the current Premier League season, per the Mirror's Simon Bird and Graham Hiscott:
All I say is, there is a bank account, when you have emptied it, it’s empty, don’t come crying to me for more money. [...]
Do I regret getting into football? The answer is yes. I have had tonnes of fun in it but I haven’t been able to make the difference I wanted to in football like I have at Sports Direct. I wanted to help Newcastle, I wanted to make it better, that’s what I wanted to do. I haven’t seemed to have had that affect. Let’s hope Rafa [Benitez] can do the business and keep us up there.
I have no choice. They’ve got me, and I’ve got them. That is the way it is.
When asked how much money was left in the Newcastle coffers, Ashley replied: "Virtually nothing now. They have emptied it."
Premier League Standings: Relegation Battle
Pl W D L F A GD Pts
15 Swansea City 31 9 9 13 31 40 -9 36
16 Crystal Palace 30 9 6 15 32 40 -8 33
17 Norwich City 31 7 7 17 32 54 -22 28
18 Sunderland 30 6 8 16 36 55 -19 26
19 Newcastle United 30 6 7 17 29 55 -26 25
20 Aston Villa 31 3 7 21 22 58 -36 16
Following a 1-1 draw against local rivals Sunderland last time out, Newcastle lie 19th in the English top flight and three points from safety.
The equation is fairly simple now, with two of Newcastle, Sunderland and Norwich likely set to join Aston Villa in the Championship next season, but the Magpies still have a chance of staying up.
The club have already been relegated once during Ashley's tenure—back in 2009—and he had to shell out £40 million to help Newcastle return to the Premier League at the first attempt, which they duly did.
Benitez has eight games remaining to lead Newcastle to safety, and given the quality in the squad after decent investment this year, it is far from a lost cause.
Whether they stay up or go down, though, Ashley is never likely to be popular at St James' Park, and the Daily Mail's Craig Hope criticised the timing of the 51-year-old's latest comments:
"He rarely gives interviews and it does seem odd that he should come out now at such a crucial stage of the season.
"However, he clearly does not intend to quit the club and will commiserate or celebrate at the end of the season depending on how things pan out."