Chelsea: Clearlake Capital Acquires Full Control as Stakeholders Sell Up - BBC Sport
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Chelsea: Majority Stake Transfer
By Jack Skelton, BBC Sport senior journalist
Published 17 September 2026
Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly and director Mark Walter have sold their stakes in the club to Clearlake Capital, becoming the latest owners to exit. Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss has also sold his stake, allowing Clearlake - led by co-founders Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano - to acquire full control of the Blues.
The American Boehly, who is a co-owner of baseball franchise the Los Angeles Dodgers, will step down from his role as chairman, having held it since 2022 when Clearlake bought the club for £2.3bn from Roman Abramovich (sanctioned by the UK government over alleged links to Vladimir Putin).
BBC Sport reported in August that Boehly and Walter were exploring selling their stakes, with sources stating a rift within the ownership group first emerged in 2024, leading both sides to consider buying each other out.
Boehly said:
"I would like to thank the many who helped secure a bright future for the club... I have valued my partnership with Clearlake and the wider ownership group... I am confident that Chelsea is well positioned for continued success under Clearlake's leadership."
Since the 2022 takeover, Chelsea's highest Premier League finish has been fourth in 2024-25 (with a Uefa Conference League and Fifa Club World Cup win that season). The club has also had a high player turnover over the past four years, initially focusing on signing young players to long-term contracts.
Clearlake co-founders Eghbali and Feliciano thanked Boehly for his "time and contribution" as chairman, adding he will "always be a part of the Chelsea story and family." They affirmed their focus on "continuing to invest in the club's infrastructure, sporting performance, player development and delivering long-term success for Chelsea and its supporters".
Chelsea continues to explore plans for either a Stamford Bridge redevelopment or a move to a new stadium, which has reportedly caused tensions between Boehly's camp and Clearlake.
A club statement assured that there will be "no changes to the day-to-day operations, leadership or strategy at the club" following Clearlake's assumption of full control.
Walter, co-owner and chief executive of global finance firm Apollo Global Management (which advised on the 2022 takeover), did not comment further.