Control of Chelsea has moved fully into Clearlake Capital’s hands, ending Todd Boehly’s spell as chairman after a little more than three years at the centre of the London club’s ownership.
Clearlake takes full ownership of Chelsea as Boehly exits
Clearlake Capital completed the purchase of the stakes held by Boehly and Mark Walter on Wednesday. The private-equity group had already held a 62% share of Chelsea before the deal.
The financial terms of the latest transaction have not been made public. Clearlake will now hold complete control of the club after also acquiring Walter’s interest.
Quick facts
- Clearlake Capital has bought the Chelsea shares owned by Todd Boehly and Mark Walter.
- Boehly is stepping down as chairman of Chelsea’s board.
- Clearlake previously owned 62% of the club.
- Hansjörg Wyss will remain an investor and an important partner in the ownership group.
- The original Chelsea takeover in May 2022 was valued at about £2.5 billion, roughly €2.9 billion.
Boehly, Walter and Wyss joined Clearlake in the 2022 acquisition from Roman Abramovich. The group’s takeover came at a price close to €3 billion and began an expensive new era in west London.
In a statement, Boehly said it had been an honour to serve as Chelsea chairman. Walter had held a seat on the board, while Wyss will retain his shareholding following the restructuring.
The ownership change follows repeated reports over the past two years of tension between Clearlake and Boehly. Those disagreements were linked particularly to sporting strategy and the scale of Chelsea’s transfer spending.
Walter has also been involved in major business changes in the United States. Last month, he sold his controlling interest in the Los Angeles Lakers to Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner in a deal that valued the NBA franchise at $12.5 billion.
He is separately the subject of federal and securities investigations in the United States concerning loans connected to his insurance businesses.
SEO title: Clearlake assumes full control of Chelsea as Todd Boehly leaves
SEO description: Clearlake Capital has purchased Todd Boehly and Mark Walter’s Chelsea shares, taking full control of the club while Boehly steps down as chairman.
