Chelsea news: Todd Boehly sends parting message as Clearlake Capital take “full control” of club

By Oliver Thomas | 17 Sep 2026 08:20, Last updated: 17 Sep 2026 08:24

Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly and director Mark Walter have sold their stakes in the club to majority owner Clearlake Capital.

The Blues announced the hierarchical changes late on Wednesday night, which sees Clearlake Capital - a leading global investment firm - acquire "full control" of the West London club.

Clearlake Capital previously owned 61.5% of Chelsea, but they have now acquired 87.2% of the club after Boehly and Walter sold up their 12.8% stakes.

Boehly and Walter have also sold their shareholding in Chelsea's sister club, French Ligue 1 outfit Strasbourg.

Meanwhile, Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss, who owns 12.8%, remains “an important stakeholder and partner in the ownership group”.

Chelsea have also confirmed that "there will be no changes to the day-to-day operations, leadership or strategy at the club".

Boehly was the face of the consortium which bought Chelsea in 2022 for around £2.5bn from Russian owner Roman Abramovich, who was sanctioned by the UK government for alleged links to Vladimir Putin - allegations Abramovich denies.

American businessman Boehly stepped down as interim sporting director in January 2023, and this move positioned Clearlake co-founder Behdad Eghbali as the dominant leader within the ownership structure.

It was reported last month that both Boehly and Walter were exploring selling their stakes after talks of a rift between the pair and Clearlake Capital emerged in 2024.

Boehly, a co-owner of baseball franchise the Los Angeles Dodgers, has now departed Chelsea, leaving the club under the leadership of Eghbali and Jose Feliciano.

In a statement released on Chelsea’s official website, Boehly said: “It has been an honour to serve as Chairman of Chelsea Football Club. 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.”

A statement from Chelsea read: “Todd Boehly now leaves his role as Chairman with Chelsea well positioned for the next phase of development.

“The progress made over the past four years reflects the shared commitment of Clearlake, Boehly and the wider ownership group and the leadership, staff, coaches and players at Chelsea.

“Clearlake intends to continue building on the strategic course the Club is now on and realising the ambition that the ownership group has developed together.”

Chelsea supporters will now be hoping that a unified ownership structure can deliver better results on the pitch than the club has managed over the last four-and-a-half years.

The Blues finished no higher than fourth in the Premier League under Boehly and slumped to a disappointing 10th-placed finish last season, with the club failing to qualify for Europe.

Under the tutelage of new manager Xabi Alonso, Chelsea have modified their transfer approach - notably recruiting older and more experienced players - and they currently sit sixth in the table with seven points from four matches (W2 D1 L1).

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