Who owns Chelsea now? How much did Todd Boehly and Clearlake pay Abramovich in 2022?
Who are the current owners of Chelsea FC?
A consortium of investors led by Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly and private equity giant Clearlake Capital own Chelsea FC.
Behdad Eghbali and José E. Feliciano are the co-founders of Clearlake Capital.
What is the breakdown of ownership?
The balance of Chelsea’s shares has not been published, but it has been reported that Clearlake Capital holds a majority share of 50 per cent.
Boehly is believed to own a significant minority and is the club’s chairman.
Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss and Guggenheim Partners chief Mark Walter hold minority stakes.
Who are the directors and CEO of Chelsea FC?
Boehly is the club’s chairman, while the board consists of nine directors. These include Behdad Eghbali, José Feliciano, Mark Walter, Hansjörg Wyss and Cain International CEO Jonathan Goldstein.
Conservative peer Lord Danny Finkelstein and music industry publicist Barbara Charone are also board members.
James Pade, Clearlake’s managing director, and David Barnard, the club’s long-term Director of Football Operations, complete the directors.
Chris Jurasek was appointed as the club’s chief executive earlier this year, succeeding president of business Tom Glick.
Former AC Milan executive Casper Stylsvig joined Chelsea in November to become its chief revenue officer.
What are Boehly and Clearlake’s net worth?
Boehly’s personal net worth is estimated by Forbes to be over $6bn, whereas Clearlake Capital says it holds more than $70bn in assets.
When did the new owners buy Chelsea FC and who was the previous owner?
Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital bought the club for £2.5bn. As part of the deal, they also committed a further £1.75bn for investing the club.
The owners raised financing of around $500m from Ares Management earlier this year. They also raised £800m of debt in the summer of 2022.
Former owner Roman Abramovich was forced to sell the club after he was sanctioned by the UK government following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Abramovich was accused of sharing a “close” relationship to Russian president Vladimir Putin. He has denied this.
The full proceeds of Chelsea’s sale remains in a frozen bank account. It is intended to help victims of the war in Ukraine.
Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003 from Ken Bates in a deal reported to be worth £140m.
What is Boehly and Clearlake’s record as Chelsea owner?
The new owners have spent lavishly in their first three transfer windows, exceeding £1bn on new players including Raheem Sterling, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo.
But Chelsea’s first season under the new ownership fell far below expectations as the club finished in 12th after sacking managers Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter in the same eason.
Former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino was appointed in summer 2023.
The latest financial results, from the 2021-22 season, recorded a net loss of £121m. The club blamed sanctions on Abramovich as a key factor impacting cash flows.
Chelsea’s turnover was listed as £481.3m, ranking them eighth in the Deloitte Football Money League.
The club are currently being investigated by the Premier League for potential breaches of financial rules, including claims of hidden payments to agents under Abramovich’s ownership.
