TODD Boehly has sold his stake at Chelsea in a £1billion deal as he steps down as chairman.
The Blues’ majority owner, Clearlake Capital, will now take “full control of the Club” after buying out co-owners Boehly and Mark Walters.
Todd Boehly has sold his stake at Chelsea and has stepped down as chairman of the club Credit: Alamy
Clearlake Capital, led by Behdad Eghbali, will now take ‘full control’ Credit: Getty
The club confirmed the news in a statement on Wednesday evening, adding: “There will be no changes to the day-to-day operations, leadership or strategy at the Club.”
Chelsea will now be in the hands of Behdad Eghbali and his business partner José E Feliciano, increasing their stake to 99.9 per cent.
Sign up for the Football newsletter
Thank you!
Boehly, 52, and Walter both flogged their 12.8 per cent share in the club for a small profit with Clearlake previously owning 61.5 per cent.
Meanwhile, Swiss billionaire Wyss has also sold his 12.8 per cent but “will remain an important stakeholder and partner in the ownership group”.
MAN UTD 2 BRIGHTON 3
42-YEAR record blown as Utd throw away half-time lead to be dumped out
CAR CRASH
Fans convinced Carabao Cup draw ‘RIGGED’ after Arsenal land easiest tie
Boehly and Eghbali were the faces of Chelsea’s 2022 takeover Credit: Getty
The club says their focus will be on ‘delivering long-term success for Chelsea and the Club’s supporters’ Credit: Getty
The club statement said: “The progress made over the past four years reflects the shared commitment of Clearlake, Boehly and the wider ownership group and the leadership, staff, coaches and players at Chelsea.
“Clearlake intends to continue building on the strategic course the Club is now on and realising the ambition that the ownership group has developed together.”
Boehly, 52, was the face of Chelsea‘s takeover in 2022, when the consortium bought The Blues for £2.3billion from Roman Abramovich.
He initially worked as interim sporting director but has taken more of a back seat in recent years, with Eghbali doing more of the day-to-day work.
The terms of the initial takeover dictated that consortium members could only sell shares to each other during the first 10 years of their ownership in the club.
Talks began in 2024 regarding Boehly or Eghbali buying each other out, with relations between the pair having grown increasingly strained.
In Wednesday’s statement, the American said: “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.”
Eghbali and Feliciano, co-founders of Clearlake Capital, said: “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.”
They added their focus will be on “investing” in the club and “delivering long-term success for Chelsea and the Club’s supporters”.
It remains to be seen what Boehly, Walter and Wyss will pocket for their individual shares.
Boehly has still been attending Chelsea matches before stepping down and was at the Emirates last week as his side lost 2-1 at Arsenal.
Boehly owns MLB franchise the Los Angeles Dodgers and also has a stake in WNBA side the Los Angeles Sparks alongside Walter.
Walter, 66, is being investigated by the US attorney’s office over alleged financial misdealing.
In August he flipped the Los Angeles Lakers in a £9.2bn deal – just 10 months after buying the premium NBA franchise from the Buss family.
