Sports · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Clearlake Capital Group Completes Chelsea Takeover, Buying Out Todd Boehly and Mark Walter
Clearlake Capital takes full control of Chelsea by buying out Boehly and Walter's minority stakes Hansjörg Wyss sold his stake; Clearlake now holds the club entirely
11 outlets, one story, no spin found.
8 of 10 outlets skipped it: wyss remains as stakeholder and partner.
11outlets compared
Chelsea ownership shifts
Chelsea confirmed on Wednesday that Clearlake Capital Group will buy out the minority interests of co-owners Todd Boehly and Mark Walter and take full control of the English Premier League club.
“Chelsea confirmed on Wednesday that Clearlake Capital Group will be buying out the minority interests”
The deal values the club at around £950 million ($1.27 billion), and Boehly will stand down as chairman after the widely anticipated transaction.
Clearlake said it will continue the club's strategic direction, with Chelsea stating, "There will be no changes to the day-to-day operations, leadership or strategy at the club."
Reuters reported that Clearlake, co-founded by Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano, teamed with Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss to purchase the stakes, which amount to around a quarter of the club.
The ownership transition follows Clearlake and partners buying Chelsea in May 2022 from Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich in a deal reported by British media to be worth £4.25 billion.
Statements and scrutiny
In a club statement, Chelsea said Clearlake intends "to continue building on the strategic course the club is now on" as Boehly exits the chairman role.
Boehly said, "It has been an honour to serve as Chairman of Chelsea Football Club," and added that he was confident Chelsea was "well positioned for continued success under Clearlake’s leadership."
The BBC reported that Boehly, Walter and Wyss each had a 12.8% stake, while Clearlake previously owned 61.5% of the Blues, meaning Clearlake now has full control after the sales.
The BBC also said multiple sources reported talks started within Chelsea's ownership group after a rift first apparent in 2024, as both sides explored buying each other out.
Separately, talkSPORT said the sale of the 26 per cent share was worth £950million and described Clearlake as having "full control" of the Premier League club.
What changes next
Chelsea said Hansjorg Wyss "will remain an important stakeholder and partner in the ownership group" even as Clearlake takes full control.
“Chelsea have confirmed Wyss “will remain an important stakeholder and partner in the ownership group.””
The BBC reported that Chelsea have ongoing plans to either redevelop Stamford Bridge or move to a new stadium, and that sources said those plans had created tension at times between Boehly's camp and Clearlake.
Chelsea also said there will be "no changes to the day-to-day operations, leadership or strategy at the club" as Clearlake assumes full control.
On the pitch, Global Banking & Finance Review said Chelsea were sixth in the Premier League after two wins, a draw and a loss to start the new season.
The BBC added that since the takeover in 2022, Chelsea's highest Premier League finish is fourth in 2024-25, with the club also winning the Uefa Conference League and Fifa Club World Cup that season.