Clearlake's £950 million takeover ends Boehly's Chelsea era
Chelsea Football Club announced that Clearlake Capital Group will purchase the minority stakes held by American billionaire Todd Boehly and fellow co‑owner Mark Walter, giving the investment firm full control of the Blues at Stamford Bridge. The move marks Boehly’s exit after two years as chairman.
Clearlake to acquire remaining stakes
Reuters reported the transaction could be worth around £950 million, valuing the club at roughly £5 billion including debt. The deal will see Clearlake, already holding about 61.5 percent of the shares, assume full control of the club. No immediate changes to day‑to‑day operations were promised.
Origins of the Chelsea consortium
Clearlake Capital Group was co‑founded by Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano, who have partnered with Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss to acquire the remaining quarter of the club. Wyss will remain a significant shareholder and partner within the ownership group. The consortium originally bought Chelsea in May 2022 from Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich for a reported £4.25 billion.
Boehly reflects on his tenure
In a club statement, Boehly said it had been “an honour to serve as club chairman” and praised his partnership with Clearlake and the wider ownership group. He added that he is confident Chelsea “is well positioned for continued success under Clearlake’s leadership”. Boehly also co‑owns the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.
Mark Walter, who also sat on the board, sold his majority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers a month earlier in a record $12.5 billion deal. During Boehly’s chairmanship, the Blues pursued a series of high‑profile signings, with transfer outlays approaching two billion euros.
Chelsea currently sit sixth in the Premier League after two wins, a draw and a loss to start the new season. The club’s statement stressed that Clearlake intends to continue building on the strategic course set by the ownership group, focusing on infrastructure, sporting performance and player development.