Clearlake gains full control of Chelsea after Boehly and Walter depart

Chelsea has announced that co‑owners Todd Boehly and Mark Walter are selling their minority stakes, paving the way for a new era at the Blues for Clearlake Capital Group.

Background of the previous owners

Todd Boehly, the American billionaire who became chairman after the departure of Russian owner Roman Abramovich, is leaving the club after four years. Abramovich was one of the first ultra‑rich owners to enter the English football world. Boehly and Mark Walter each held a stake of 12.83 percent in the club.

Clearlake takes majority stake in Chelsea

Clearlake Capital Group will acquire the minority stakes of Boehly and Walter, thereby gaining total control of the club. According to Reuters, the transaction could be valued at around £950 million, and the club is now estimated at roughly £5 billion. After the takeover, Clearlake owns 86.5 percent of the shares, up from the previous 61.5 percent.

No direct impact on the team

Clearlake is working with Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss, who is taking roughly a quarter of the club and retains his existing 13.5 percent. In a statement, Boehly emphasized that he has full confidence that Chelsea under Clearlake is well‑positioned for future success. The club has also confirmed that there will be no immediate changes to daily operations, management or strategy, neither for head coach Xabi Alonso nor for the players.

In an interview Boehly said: “It was an honour to serve as club‑chairman of Chelsea. I want to thank everyone who has contributed to a bright future for the club, including the Premier League, the coaches, the players, the talented staff and the dedicated fans.”

The transaction also means that Boehly is relinquishing his seat as club‑chairman. Despite the major ownership shift, the English competition remains unchanged and the club continues to operate under the same name and colours.