Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly and director Mark Walter sold their stakes in the club to majority owner Clearlake Capital. Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss also sold his stake, meaning Clearlake, led by co-founders Behdad Eghbali and José E. Feliciano, has now acquired full control of the club. Boehly, Walter and Wyss each had a 12.8% stake, while Clearlake previously owned 61.5% of the Blues.American Boehly will step down as chairman, a position he has held since 2022, when the consortium bought the club for £2.3bn from Roman Abramovich, who was sanctioned by the UK government in March 2022 for alleged links to Russian President Vladimir Putin, something he has denied. BBC Sport reported in August that Boehly and Walter were exploring selling their stakes. Several sources said talks began within Chelsea’s ownership group after a rift, first apparent in 2024, led both sides to explore the possibility of buying each other. Boehly, co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball franchise, said it had been an “honor” to serve as Chelsea president. “I would like to thank everyone who has helped secure a bright future for the club, including the English Premier League, the coaches and players, Chelsea’s talented leadership and staff, and the legions of dedicated fans,” he added. “I have valued my association with Clearlake and the wider ownership group, and the collective Since the acquisition in 2022, Chelsea’s highest finish in the Premier League is fourth in 2024-25, and the club also won the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup that season. The club has also had a notably high player turnover over the last four years, with the initial strategy focused on signing young players. long-term contracts. Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League last season and appointed Xabi Alonso as their manager in the summer. Eghbali and Feliciano thanked Boehly for his “time and contribution” as president, saying he will “always be part of Chelsea history and family.” They added that their aim is to “continue to invest in the club’s infrastructure, sporting performance, player development and achieve long-term success for Chelsea and the club’s supporters.” Stamford Bridge or move to a new stadium, which sources said had created tension at times between Boehly’s camp and Clearlake. A statement from the club said there would be “no changes to day-to-day operations, leadership or strategy at the club” as a result of Clearlake taking full control. Walter, co-owner and CEO of global financial firm Guggenheim Partners, where Boehly also began his financial career, last month sold the Los Angeles Lakers for a record $12.5 billion. (£9.23 billion), a year after purchasing a majority stake in the NBA franchise. Separately, U.S. federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating companies in Walter’s business empire.
