Chelsea confirmed on Wednesday, September 16 that majority shareholder Clearlake Capital is buying out the minority holdings of co-owners Todd Boehly and Mark Walter and taking full control of the Premier League club. Boehly, the public face of the consortium that bought Chelsea from Roman Abramovich in May 2022, has stepped down as chairman.
Boehly and Walter’s combined stake, which amounted to around a quarter of the club, is being acquired in a deal that Sky Sports reports values Chelsea at £5 billion, with the transaction itself reported to be worth around £950 million. Once completed, Clearlake, co-founded by Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano, will own 86.5 per cent of the club, with Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss holding the remaining 13.5 per cent. Jonathan Goldstein has also left the board alongside Boehly and Walter, and there are no plans to appoint a new chairman.
“Clearlake intends to continue building on the strategic course the club is now on and realising the ambition that the ownership group has developed together,” Chelsea said in a statement. “There will be no changes to the day-to-day operations, leadership or strategy at the club.”
“It has been an honour to serve as chairman of Chelsea Football Club,” said Boehly, who is also a co-owner of baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers. “I have valued my partnership with Clearlake and the wider ownership group, and the collective decisions and investment we have made to support the immediate and long-term success of the club. I am confident that Chelsea is well positioned for continued success under Clearlake’s leadership.”
Eghbali and Feliciano said Boehly “has been an important partner throughout our ownership of Chelsea” and that Clearlake’s focus as it moves to full control “is to continue investing in the club’s infrastructure, sporting performance, player development and delivering long-term success.” Chelsea, managed by Xabi Alonso since the summer, are sixth in the Premier League after two wins, a draw and a defeat from their opening four matches.
