Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly is exploring a sale of his stake in the Premier League club to majority shareholder Clearlake Capital, four years after taking charge.
Fellow co-owner Mark Walter is also considering selling his holding in the London football club, with ongoing negotiations pointing toward a transaction that could value Chelsea at £5 billion, though whether an agreement can be reached remains to be seen.
Discussions between the two American investment groups have taken place on and off for the past two years amid differences in strategy. The consortium joined forces in 2022 to buy Chelsea in a forced sale from Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich for £2.5 billion, along with a commitment of a further £1.75 billion investment in the club.
Ownership structure and governance
Private equity firm Clearlake Capital owns a 61.5 per cent majority stake in Chelsea but shares joint control with Boehly. Boehly is currently approaching the end of his five-year term as chairman, a leadership position that will switch to Clearlake next May under the club governance arrangement.
Boehly acts as a co-controlling owner alongside Behdad Eghbali and Jose E Feliciano, who manage the Clearlake investment, with all major decisions requiring sign-off from the group. The remaining 38.5 per cent equity in Chelsea is split between Boehly, Walter and Swiss business leader Hansjorg Wyss.
Chelsea insiders have continuously denied claims of a rift between Eghbali and Boehly, insisting that the two executives maintain a "professional and constructive" relationship. However, matters appear to be coming to a head between the co-owners.
Executive investigations and sports holdings
Earlier this month, Walter sold his stake in the National Basketball Association team the Los Angeles Lakers, just 14 months after buying into the basketball franchise.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that the US attorney's office and the Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating the American businessman amid allegations concerning his wider business empire.
