Quick Facts: Chelsea F.C.
| Current Owner | BlueCo Consortium (Clearlake Capital + Todd Boehly + Mark Walter + Hansjörg Wyss) |
| Ownership Type | Private |
| Founded | 1905, London, England |
| Headquarters | Stamford Bridge, Fulham, London |
| Acquired | May 2022, ~£4.25 billion, from Roman Abramovich |
| Chairman | Todd Boehly |
| President & COO | Jason Gannon (since Sept 2024) |
| Publicly Traded | No |
Who Owns Chelsea F.C.?
Chelsea Football Club is owned by BlueCo, a consortium formed in 2022 specifically to buy the club.
Clearlake Capital — a Santa Monica private equity firm run by Behdad Eghbali and José Feliciano — holds the majority stake, around 61.5%.
The remaining 38.5% splits roughly evenly three ways: Todd Boehly, Mark Walter, and Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss each hold about 12.8%.
Boehly chairs Chelsea’s holding company and is the public face of the ownership group, even though Clearlake holds more equity.
Chelsea Ownership History
BlueCo isn’t Chelsea’s first modern owner. Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire, bought the club in 2003 for £140 million and spent nearly two decades funding its transformation into one of Europe’s most decorated sides — five Premier League titles and two Champions League trophies under his watch.
That ended in 2022. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the UK government sanctioned Abramovich and forced a sale. BlueCo completed the £4.25 billion purchase on 30 May 2022 — proceeds from the sale were frozen by the UK government, earmarked for Ukraine-related humanitarian causes, and Abramovich kept none of it.
| Year | Event | Owner / Key Figure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1905 | Chelsea F.C. founded | Gus Mears | Fulham, London |
| 2003 | Bought for £140 million | Roman Abramovich | Start of a 19-year trophy-laden era |
| 2022 | Abramovich sanctioned, forced sale | UK Government | Sale proceeds frozen for charity |
| May 2022 | BlueCo completes £4.25B purchase | Clearlake Capital + Boehly + Walter + Wyss | One of the largest sports sales ever |
| Sept 2024 | CEO Chris Jurasek steps down | Jason Gannon promoted | Gannon becomes President & COO |
| Oct 2024 | New share issuance raises £190M | Clearlake + Boehly’s group | Funded wages, stadium and training-ground upgrades |
| 2025–Present | Stadium decision pending | BlueCo Consortium | Boehly favors new Earl’s Court build; Eghbali favors rebuilding on-site |
About the BlueCo Consortium
Clearlake Capital is the financial muscle behind BlueCo. Eghbali and Feliciano’s firm manages over $70 billion in assets and specializes in operations-heavy, technology-driven businesses — Chelsea was one of its first major moves into European football.
Todd Boehly brings the sports-ownership experience and the public profile. Beyond Chelsea, he co-owns the LA Dodgers and holds a growing stake in the LA Lakers alongside Mark Walter — the same Mark Walter who’s also a BlueCo partner here and separately the controlling owner of Guggenheim Partners.
Hansjörg Wyss, the fourth partner, is a Swiss billionaire investor with a lower public profile than his three co-owners, holding the same roughly 12.8% stake as Boehly and Walter individually.
Key Ownership Highlights
- Clearlake Capital holds majority economic control at ~61.5%, while Boehly, Walter, and Wyss each hold about 12.8% — meaning Clearlake can outvote the other three combined if it chooses to.
- The £4.25 billion price tag made this one of the largest sports franchise sales in history when it closed in May 2022, and it came directly out of a geopolitical event — UK sanctions on Abramovich over the Ukraine invasion.
- BlueCo also owns French club RC Strasbourg since 2023, though Chelsea remains its primary asset by far.
- A £190 million share issuance in October 2024 funded wages, Stamford Bridge improvements, and training-ground upgrades — a sign the consortium is still actively investing rather than extracting cash.
- The ownership group has publicly clashed over Chelsea’s stadium future — Boehly wants a new build at Earl’s Court, while Eghbali prefers rebuilding on the current Stamford Bridge site. Boehly said in March 2025 that failure to agree could split the group, though both sides say they intend to stay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns Chelsea F.C. today?
The BlueCo consortium: Clearlake Capital (~61.5%), and Todd Boehly, Mark Walter, and Hansjörg Wyss (~12.8% each). Boehly chairs the club; Clearlake holds majority economic control.
When did BlueCo buy Chelsea, and for how much?
The deal closed on 30 May 2022 for approximately £4.25 billion, after Roman Abramovich was forced to sell under UK government sanctions.
Has Chelsea changed ownership multiple times?
In its modern history, yes — twice. Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003 and ran it for 19 years before UK sanctions forced a sale in 2022 to the BlueCo consortium, which owns it today.
Is Chelsea F.C. publicly traded?
No. It’s fully private, owned by the BlueCo consortium with no publicly traded shares.
Who runs Chelsea day-to-day if the owners don’t?
Jason Gannon, promoted to President & COO in September 2024 after previous CEO Chris Jurasek stepped down. Gannon holds no ownership stake but manages daily operations.
Does Todd Boehly own other sports teams besides Chelsea?
Yes — he co-owns the Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB) and holds a growing stake in the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA), alongside fellow Chelsea co-owner Mark Walter.
