Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Chelsea's £4.25bn takeover completed

Chelsea's £4.25bn takeover completed

Chelsea's £4.25bn sale to a consortium led by American investor Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital has been completed.

The club was put up for sale in March before previous owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned over his links to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Chelsea had been operating under a special government licence which would have expired on 31 May.

Boehly said that he was "honoured" and "wanted to make fans proud".

The consortium fought off 11 serious rivals to become the new owners, in a sale process that started on 2 March and comprised more than 250 enquiries.

"We are honoured to become the new custodians of Chelsea Football Club," he said.

"We're all in - 100% - every minute of every match. Our vision as owners is clear: we want to make the fans proud.

"Along with our commitment to developing the youth squad and acquiring the best talent, our plan of action is to invest in the club for the long term and build on Chelsea's remarkable history of success.

"I personally want to thank ministers and officials in the British government, and the Premier League, for all their work in making this happen."

The UK government - which said last Wednesday it could issue a licence for the sale of the club - does not want Abramovich to receive any of the proceeds from the sale, which will instead go into a frozen bank account to be donated to charities supporting victims of the war in Ukraine.


Who are Chelsea's new owners?


Several parties expressed an interest, but Chelsea agreed to sell to the Boehly-Clearlake Capital consortium earlier in May, with Californian private equity firm owning a majority of the shares as it makes its first foray into sport.

Boehly, 48, is also a part-owner of seven-time baseball World Series champions the LA Dodgers, US women's basketball team the Los Angeles Sparks and NBA franchise the Los Angeles Lakers.

He has also invested in Bruce Springsteen's song rights, a sports betting firm and restaurant chains.

Other investors include US billionaire Mark Walter, a co-owner of the LA Dodgers with a stake in the Lakers like Boehly, and Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss.


End of an era


Abramovich bought Chelsea for £140m in 2003.

Under his ownership, the club won every major trophy - two Champions Leagues, five Premier Leagues, five FA Cups, two Europa Leagues and three EFL Cups.

In August 2021 they won the Uefa Super Cup and in February their first Club World Cup.

Abramovich has appointed 13 managers and the club has spent more than £2bn in the transfer market under his ownership.

Chelsea's women's team, who became affiliated to Chelsea FC in 2004, have won five Women's Super League titles and four FA Cups under Abramovich.

When an agreement for the sale was reached, he said: "As I hand over Chelsea to its new custodians, I would like to wish them the best of success, both on and off the pitch.

"It has been an honour of a lifetime to be a part of this club - I would like to thank all the club's past and current players, staff, and of course fans for these incredible years."


Chelsea's sale - the key moments


24 February: Russia invades Ukraine

26 February: Abramovich gives "stewardship and care" of club to charitable foundation

2 March: Abramovich says he plans to sell the club

10 March: The UK government sanctions Abramovich

5 May: Abramovich denies he has requested a £1.5bn loan he made to Chelsea is repaid

7 May: Boehly agrees a £4.25bn deal for the club

16 May: Government insider says the deal is close to collapse

24 May: Premier League approves takeover

25 May: Government approves takeover

28 May: Final agreement reached with Boehly-Clearlake Capital consortium

30 May: Sale completed

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
JD Vance Warns Europe Faces “Civilizational Suicide” Over Open Borders and Speech Limits
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
×