Boehly Leaves Chelsea Chairman Role After Selling Shares

Todd Boehly has stepped down as Chelsea chairman after selling his shares in the club to Clearlake Capital. Clearlake now has full control of the club.

Boehly and director Mark Walter sold their shares, which gives Clearlake complete ownership. Previously, Boehly, Walter, and Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss each had a 12.8% stake. Clearlake owned 61.5%. The club confirmed that Wyss will stay as an important partner in the ownership group.

Clearlake, led by Behdad Eghbali and José E. Feliciano, paid nearly £1 billion for the stakes. These stakes represent about a quarter of Chelsea. Club sources say the overall value of Chelsea is around £5 billion.

Boehly has been chairman since 2022. That was when the consortium bought Chelsea for £2.3 billion from Roman Abramovich after UK government sanctions. He will leave his role as part of this sale.

In a statement on Thursday, Boehly said, "It has been an honour to serve as Chelsea chairman. I would like to thank the many who helped secure a bright future for the club, including the English Premier League, the coaches and players, the talented leadership and staff at Chelsea, and the legions of dedicated fans. I have valued my partnership with Clearlake and the wider ownership group, and the collective decisions and investment we have made to support the immediate and long-term success of the club. I am confident that Chelsea is well positioned for continued success under Clearlake’s leadership."

Eghbali and Feliciano thanked Boehly for his "time and contribution" as chairman. They added that he "will always be a part of the Chelsea story and family." They said their focus now is on investing in the club’s infrastructure, sporting performance, player development and delivering long-term success for supporters.

A club statement confirmed that there will be "no changes to the day-to-day operations, leadership or strategy" after this deal. Boehly and Walter have also sold their shares in Chelsea’s partner club, French side Strasbourg.

Negotiations within the ownership group started after a disagreement that became clear in 2024. Both sides looked at ways to buy each other out. BBC Sport reported in August that Boehly and Walter were thinking about selling their shares.

Since the takeover in 2022, Chelsea's best finish in the Premier League has been fourth in 2024-25. In that season, they also won the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup. Last season, the club finished 10th and appointed Xabi Alonso as manager in the summer. The ownership period has seen many players come and go and a focus on signing young players to long-term contracts. Plans to redevelop Stamford Bridge or move to a new stadium caused tension between Boehly’s group and Clearlake.