Chelsea Football Club announced a major shift in its ownership structure on Wednesday, saying affiliates of Clearlake Capital Group will acquire the ownership interests held by Todd Boehly and Mark Walter. The deal will give Clearlake full control over the club, ending Boehly’s tenure as chairman. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Boehly, who is also a part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, said it had been an honor to serve as club chairman. Clearlake Capital Group was co-founded by Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano, while Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss will remain an important stakeholder and partner in the ownership group.
The transaction values the club at approximately 5 billion pounds, according to people familiar with the matter. The Financial Times reported that Clearlake is paying about £950 million for Boehly and Walter’s combined 25% interest.
Mark Walter is selling his stake as his businesses face increased scrutiny from U.S. authorities, according to Bloomberg. Federal prosecutors and securities regulators have been investigating financial transactions involving insurance businesses controlled by Walter. Neither Walter nor his companies have been charged with a crime.
Chelsea stated that the change in ownership will not affect the club’s daily operations or leadership strategy, according to a report from ca.sports.yahoo.com. The club currently sits sixth in the Premier League after two wins, one draw, and one loss to begin the new season, AOL reported.
Clearlake intends to continue advancing the strategic direction that the club has been following under its current ownership group. Clearlake has been Chelsea’s majority investor since 2022, but the original agreement gave Boehly and Clearlake joint control and equal governance of the club.
The original ownership group bought Chelsea from Roman Abramovich in 2022. The agreement called for £2.5 billion to purchase the club’s shares and another £1.75 billion in future investment.
The new ownership structure reflects a significant step in Chelsea’s ongoing development and future planning.
IMAGE: Chelsea Football Club, Stamford Bridge. Photo: Ank kumar / Wikimedia, taken 2013-02-10, CC BY-SA 4.0
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