In London and Strasbourg, the ownership map of BlueCo has been redrawn: Clearlake Capital has moved to take complete control of Chelsea and Racing Club de Strasbourg, with Todd Boehly and Mark Walter stepping away from their stakes in the multi-club group.
Clearlake takes full ownership of Chelsea and Strasbourg
Chelsea confirmed on Wednesday evening that affiliates of Clearlake Capital Group will buy Todd Boehly’s shareholding and, as part of the same transition, acquire Mark Walter’s interest. The private-equity firm will consequently hold the entire club.
Boehly had served as Chelsea chairman, while Walter sat on the board after the pair joined Clearlake and fellow investor Hansjörg Wyss to purchase the west London club from Roman Abramovich in May 2022. That takeover was priced at £2.5 billion, or roughly €2.9 billion.
Before the latest agreement, Clearlake held 62% of Chelsea. The remaining shares were divided between Boehly, Walter and Wyss. Wyss will retain his investment and remain an important partner within the ownership structure.
The same change reaches across the Channel. Strasbourg, the Ligue 1 club held within the BlueCo network, said Clearlake will also take total control of its share capital as Boehly and Walter disengage from the consortium.
The transaction gives Boehly and Walter cash proceeds of £950 million, about €1.108 billion, and values Chelsea at approximately £5 billion when debt is included.
Boehly said it had been an honour to serve as Chelsea chairman, closing a period in which the American-led consortium placed the club and its Alsatian partner at the centre of an increasingly prominent cross-border ownership model.
SEO Title: Clearlake Capital Takes Full Control of Chelsea and Strasbourg
SEO Description: Clearlake Capital has bought out Todd Boehly and Mark Walter to assume full control of Chelsea and Racing Club de Strasbourg, while Hansjörg Wyss remains an investor.
