Todd Boehly Exits Chelsea as Clearlake Takes Full Control in £950m Deal

Todd Boehly is leaving Chelsea as Clearlake Capital buys out his ownership interest and Mark Walter’s stake, ending the divided control structure established when the club was purchased from Roman Abramovich in 2022.

Chelsea announced that affiliates of Clearlake will acquire the two investors’ interests and take full control of the club.

The Financial Times reports that Boehly and Walter will receive approximately £950 million in cash for their combined 25% holding.

The transaction values Chelsea at around £5 billion including debt.

Completion is expected by the end of 2026, when Boehly will also step down as Chelsea chairman.

Four-year partnership ends

Boehly became the public face of the consortium that acquired Chelsea following Abramovich’s departure.

Clearlake held the majority economic interest from the beginning, but the ownership agreement effectively divided control between Clearlake and Boehly’s side of the consortium.

That relationship became increasingly strained.

Boehly was initially highly visible in Chelsea’s operations and briefly acted as interim sporting director during an extraordinary period of spending on new players.

His influence subsequently diminished as Clearlake co-founder Behdad Eghbali became increasingly involved in the club’s strategy.

Disagreements between the ownership groups extended to Chelsea’s long-term infrastructure plans, including what to do with Stamford Bridge.

Clearlake takes undisputed control

Buying out Boehly and Walter removes that divided governance.

Clearlake, led by Eghbali and José Feliciano, will now have undisputed control over Chelsea’s strategic direction.

Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss is remaining as a minority shareholder and is expected to increase his stake slightly.

The new structure could also clear the way for decisions that had become entangled in disagreements between the owners.

Chelsea still need to determine the long-term future of Stamford Bridge, while investment in the club’s Cobham training facilities also remains on the agenda.

For Boehly, the transaction closes a high-profile four-year involvement with one of England’s biggest football clubs.

He arrived as the face of Chelsea’s post-Abramovich era and became closely associated with its unprecedented transfer spending.

He leaves with Clearlake taking complete control of a club now valued at around £5 billion.

Chelsea’s ownership dispute is effectively over.

Clearlake won it.

Sources

• Financial Times – Clearlake buyout, £950m payment and Chelsea valuation
• The Guardian – background to Chelsea ownership split and strategic disagreements