Clearlake Capital to acquire full control of Chelsea FC from Boehly, Walter
The football club has operated under joint ownership since Clearlake and Boehly's 2022 takeover, with investment made across its men's and women's squads, Cobham training facilities and academy pathways. The post Clearlake Capital to acquire full control of Chelsea FC from Boehly, Walter appeared first on PE Hub .
Clearlake Capital is poised to assume full ownership of Chelsea Football Club after finalizing a deal to purchase the combined 25% stake held by co-owners Todd Boehly and Mark Walter, according to the Financial Times. The U.S. private equity firm, which has been the club's majority investor since its 2022 takeover, will acquire the stakes alongside existing minority investor Hansjörg Wyss.
Expected to close by year-end, Boehly will relinquish his role as Chelsea chairman. The duo is anticipated to receive approximately £950m in cash for their combined stake, as reported by individuals familiar with the transaction. Clearlake will finance the acquisition using its own capital and investments from co-founders Behdad Eghbali and José E Feliciano, instead of incurring additional debt.
This transaction concludes a lengthy period of discord within Chelsea's ownership group, which included Clearlake, Boehly, Walter, and Wyss, who purchased the club from Roman Abramovich in 2022 for roughly £4.25bn. Though Clearlake maintained the majority economic interest, the ownership structure previously granted joint control to all consortium members.
Disagreements over the club's strategic direction, such as its approach to player spending and Stamford Bridge plans, persisted for several years. Boehly and Walter, who formerly collaborated at Guggenheim Partners, pursued an aggressive investment strategy at Chelsea post-acquisition, with the club spending over £1.5bn on player acquisitions by July 2025.
Focused on younger players on lengthy contracts, Chelsea's financial performance since the takeover has been significant. The club reported record revenue of £490.9m for the year ending June 2025 but also reported a pre-tax loss of £262.4m. On the field, Chelsea's performance has varied since the takeover, finishing 12th in the Premier League in 2022/23, rising to sixth the following season, fourth in 2024/25 (winning the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup), and concluding 10th in the 2025/26 season.
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