Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly and director Mark Walter have completed the sale of their stakes in the club to majority owner Clearlake Capital, giving the private equity firm, led by co-founders Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano, full control of Chelsea.
Boehly, Walter and Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss had each held a 12.8 percent stake, with Clearlake previously owning 61.5 percent of the club. In a statement, Chelsea confirmed Wyss will remain an important stakeholder and partner within the ownership group, even as Boehly steps down from the chairman role he has held since the 2022 takeover, when the consortium bought Chelsea for £2.3 billion from Roman Abramovich following his sanctioning by the UK government over alleged links to Vladimir Putin, claims Abramovich has denied.
Clearlake are understood to have paid close to £1 billion for the two stakes, which together amount to roughly a quarter of the club, though those close to the deal maintain Chelsea's overall value sits at around £5 billion. Reports of a possible sale first surfaced in August, with multiple sources saying discussions began within the ownership group following a rift that first became apparent in 2024, one that led both camps to explore buying each other out. Tensions were said to have centred partly around Chelsea's plans to either redevelop Stamford Bridge or move to a new stadium.
Boehly, who also co-owns baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers, described serving as Chelsea chairman as an honour, thanking the Premier League, coaching staff, players, club leadership and supporters for their role in helping secure what he called a bright future for the club. He said he had valued his partnership with Clearlake and the wider ownership group, adding confidence that Chelsea remains well positioned for continued success under Clearlake's leadership. Boehly and Walter have also sold their shareholding in Chelsea's partner club, French side Strasbourg.
Eghbali and Feliciano thanked Boehly for his time and contribution as chairman, saying he will always remain part of the Chelsea story and family, while stating their focus going forward is on continuing to invest in the club's infrastructure, sporting performance, player development and long-term success for Chelsea and its supporters. A club statement confirmed there will be no changes to day-to-day operations, leadership or strategy as a result of the ownership change.
Since the 2022 takeover, Chelsea's best Premier League finish has been fourth in 2024-25, a campaign in which the club also won the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup. The period has also been marked by unusually high player turnover, with an early strategy centred on signing young players to long-term contracts. Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League last season and appointed Xabi Alonso as manager over the summer.
Walter, who serves as co-owner and chief executive of global finance firm Guggenheim Partners — where Boehly also began his career — sold the Los Angeles Lakers for a record $12.5 billion last month, a year after acquiring a majority stake in the NBA franchise. Separately, US federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating companies within Walter's broader business empire.
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