Todd Boehly departs Chelsea as Clearlake Capital takes full control

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Premier League side Chelsea Football Club has announced that private equity firm Clearlake Capital has acquired the shares of Todd Boehly and fellow investor Mark Walter, securing full control of the club.

The club confirmed the structural transition in an official statement: “Chelsea Football Club today announced that affiliates of Clearlake Capital Group will acquire the ownership interest of Todd Boehly. As part of the transition, Clearlake will also acquire Mark Walter’s ownership interest and therefore acquire full control of the club.”

This buyout ends a joint ownership arrangement that originated in 2022, when Clearlake and Boehly teamed up to purchase the West London side from Russian owner Roman Abramovich. Abramovich was compelled to divest the club after UK authorities placed sanctions on him due to his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Before Wednesday’s transaction, Clearlake held a 61.5% majority share, while Boehly, Walter, and Swiss investor Hansjorg Wyss each held a 12.8% stake.

As part of the ownership shift, Boehly departs his position as Chelsea FC‘s chairman.

“It has been an honour to serve as chairman of Chelsea Football Club. I would like to thank the many who helped secure a bright future for the club, including the English Premier League, the coaches and players, the talented leadership and staff at Chelsea, and the legions of dedicated fans. I have valued my partnership with Clearlake and the wider ownership group, and the collective decisions and investment we have made to support the immediate and long-term success of the club. I am confident that Chelsea is well positioned for continued success under Clearlake’s leadership.” Boehly said.

Clearlake outlines long-term vision under single ownership

Clearlake Capital co-founders Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano expressed gratitude to Boehly for his contributions during his time with the club.

“Todd has been an important partner throughout our ownership of Chelsea, and we thank him for his time and contribution as chairman. He will always be a part of the Chelsea story and family. Clearlake has served as Chelsea’s majority owner since 2022, and as we move to full control, our focus is to continue investing in the club’s infrastructure, sporting performance, player development and delivering long-term success for Chelsea and the club’s supporters.”  Eghbali and Feliciano said.

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