Clearlake Capital takes full control of Chelsea as Boehly and Walter exit

Todd Boehly and Mark Walter have sold their Chelsea shares to Clearlake Capital, ending the four-year co-ownership that began with the 2022 takeover from Roman Abramovich.

Clearlake Capital has taken full control of Chelsea after Todd Boehly and Mark Walter sold their shares in the club, ending the four-year co-ownership that began with the 2022 takeover from Roman Abramovich.

The Guardian reported this week that the deal had been secured. Boehly, who served as Chelsea's chair, has left the club. In a statement reported by the Guardian, he said: "I am confident that Chelsea is well positioned."

Clearlake, the majority co-owner since 2022, now holds complete authority over Chelsea's sporting and commercial operations. The consolidation ends a period of shared governance defined by heavy spending on player recruitment, repeated managerial changes, and a push into the multi-club ownership model.

The Guardian first reported in August that Boehly and Walter were considering selling their shares to Clearlake. The Athletic and ESPN also reported the talks at the time. The completion of that process has been confirmed by multiple outlets.

The 2022 takeover from Abramovich placed Boehly, Walter and Clearlake at the head of the club. The structure gave Clearlake operational control while Boehly, as the American chair, ran sporting strategy and served as the public face of the ownership. That arrangement is now over.

The shift to single-ownership comes as Chelsea begin the 2026-27 season. The club's football operations, currently led by the recruitment and coaching staff installed under the co-ownership, will now report to a unified Clearlake board.

The financial terms of the share sale were not disclosed in the available reporting.