Todd Boehly and fellow minority investors are close to selling their stake in Chelsea, leaving the club under the full control of Behdad Eghbali and his Clearlake Capital fund.
As reported by Telegraph Sport, last month that talks were under way for the sale of the 38.5 per cent share that is owned equally by Boehly, Mark Walter, a fellow US investor, and Hansjorg Wyss, the 90-year-old Swiss billionaire. Clearlake – controlled by Eghbali, the club’s day-to-day power and his partner José E Feliciano – has always regarded Chelsea as a long-term investment.
The sale would increase Eghbali and Clearlake’s share in the club from 61.5 per cent to 99.9 per cent. Currently, Boehly, Walter and Wyss each own 12.83 per cent.
Boehly, Walter and Wyss will make a small profit on the sale and the football world will be intrigued to see how the transaction values the entire club. The consortium bought Chelsea for £2.5bn in 2022 with a further £1.75bn committed to investment in the club. Boehly, the Chelsea chairman, is understood to value the club now at twice that, although Clearlake’s position is not known.
Under the terms of the 2022 takeover, no part of the consortium could sell their stake for 10 years – unless it was to a fellow consortium partner.
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As first reported by Bloomberg, a spokesman for Walter told the market news service: “This potential transaction values Mark Walter’s stake in Chelsea Football Club at a premium to his initial investment and is another successful sports investment for him. After this exit, Mr Walter intends to make future sports-related investments.”
The spokesman added: “Walter did not initiate the proposed transaction to sell his interest, which has been in the works for quite some time.”
Boehly had been the original driving force behind the 2022 takeover following a long marketing process after British government sanctions were placed on Roman Abramovich, the former owner. Although Boehly has long been perceived by fans as the face of the new regime, it has been Eghbali running the club since January 2023.
Eghbali and Boehly have endured a challenging relationship for some time. Talks started two years ago on one buying out the other, but in recent months it has been clear that Walter has been just as eager to get out of the investment. It would now appear that Wyss is prepared to do so, too.
