Clearlake assumes full control of Chelsea after Boehly, Walter and Wyss sell stakes

Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly and director Mark Walter have sold their shares in the club to majority owner Clearlake Capital.

Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss has also disposed of his stake, giving Clearlake—led by co-founders Behdad Eghbali and José E. Feliciano—full ownership of the Premier League club.

Boehly, Walter and Wyss each held 12.8% of Chelsea, while Clearlake previously owned 61.5% of the club.

Boehly will step down as chairman, a role he has held since 2022, when a consortium led by Clearlake purchased Chelsea from Roman Abramovich for £2.3bn. The sale followed UK government sanctions against Abramovich over alleged links to Russian President Vladimir Putin, which Abramovich has denied.

BBC Sport reported in August that Boehly and Walter were considering selling their stakes.

Several sources said discussions began within Chelsea’s ownership group after a rift emerged in 2024, prompting both sides to consider buying each other out.

Boehly, who also co-owns Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers, said it had been an “honour” to serve as Chelsea chairman.

“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,” he said.

“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.”

Since the 2022 takeover, Chelsea’s highest Premier League finish has been fourth in 2024-25. The club also won the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup that season.

Chelsea have overseen substantial player turnover during the past four years, with their initial recruitment strategy centred on signing young talent to long-term contracts.

The club finished 10th in the Premier League last season and appointed Xabi Alonso as manager during the summer.

Eghbali and Feliciano thanked Boehly for his “time and contribution” as chairman, saying he would “always be a part of the Chelsea story and family”.

They said their focus would be to “continue investing in the club’s infrastructure, sporting performance, player development and delivering long-term success for Chelsea and the club’s supporters”.

Chelsea continue to consider either redeveloping Stamford Bridge or relocating to a new stadium, a process that sources say has at times created tension between Boehly’s camp and Clearlake.

A club statement confirmed that Clearlake’s move to full ownership would bring “no changes to the day-to-day operations, leadership or strategy at the club”.

Walter, the co-owner and chief executive of global finance firm Guggenheim Partners, where Boehly began his financial career, sold the Los Angeles Lakers last month for a record $12.5bn (£9.23bn), one 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 business empire.

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