Boehly sells his Chelsea and Strasbourg stakes to Clearlake Capital for £950m

Todd Boehly and Mark Walter have left Chelsea and RC Strasbourg, selling all their shares to Clearlake Capital for approximately £950 million (€1.1 billion). The transaction, finalized overnight Wednesday to Thursday, values the London club at nearly £5 billion, debt included.

Clearlake Capital, already majority shareholder at 62% within the BlueCo holding company, now inherits exclusive control of both clubs. Swiss investor Hansjörg Wyss retains a minority stake. The transaction represents a substantial gain compared to the £2.5 billion invested when Chelsea was acquired in May 2022, following Roman Abramovitch’s removal.

This disengagement concludes months of tensions and strategic disagreements between Boehly and Clearlake, widely reported by the British press. In the official statement, Boehly declared: “It has been an honor to serve as president of Chelsea Football Club. I am confident that Chelsea is well positioned for continued success under Clearlake’s leadership.”

The Boehly era will be remembered for an unprecedented transfer policy, with hundreds of millions of euros spent in the market, without corresponding sporting stability. Chelsea did secure a Club World Cup title against PSG and a Ligue Europa Conférence title, but the club often seemed to accumulate signings without clear direction.

For RC Strasbourg, this governance change also transfers exclusive authority to Clearlake Capital, opening a new chapter for the Alsatian club.