Todd Boehly Consortium: what is group behind Chelsea takeover, wealth, what do they own - including LA Lakers

An official announcement has been made to confirm the takeover of Premier League side Chelsea FC.

The Blues’ immediate future was up-in-the-air after Roman Abrahmovic was forced to sell the club due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and his ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Officials behind-the-scenes have since been working tirelessly to find a buyer, someone who could afford the billions of pounds that Chelsea FC would cost.

After months of anxiety amongst supporters - as rumours suggested that the London club could be booted out from both the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League - the new man to bring stability and spearhead Chelsea into a new era has been confirmed.

American billionaire Todd Boehly is leading a consortium that are now the official owners of the five-time Premier League champions - but who are they, what are they worth and how much did they pay to buy Chelsea? Here is everything you need to know.

Who are the key players in the takeover of Chelsea FC?

The consortium group is headed by American billionaire Todd Boehly, 46, who already has experience working in sport.

Mr Boehly will share voting rights at the club equally with Clearlake Capital, which is a private equity firm based in California.

Clearlake have had no direct ownership of a major sport asset previously, but will hold a majority of the shares in Chelsea.

Other investors included as part of the consortium are US billionaire Mark Walter and Swiss billionaire Hansjoerg Wyss.

The group is being advised by Goldman Sachs (an American banking company) and Robey Warshaw (a London-based advisory firm) where a Chelsea fan - George Osborne - will now work as a partner.

How much is Todd Boehly’s consortium worth?

One thing that the new consortium will not lack is ‘plenty of money’, with several reports suggesting that the new ownership structure at Chelsea will become the sixth-wealthiest in football worldwide.

The combined wealth of the main investors of the consortium - Boehly, Wyss and Walter - has an estimated worth of $10.86 billion - compared to Roman Abrahmovic’ $9 billion.

Only ranking below Andrea Agnelli (Juventus), Dietrich Mateschitz (RB Leipzig, RB Salzburg), Sheikh Mansour (Manchester City), Qatar Investment Authority (PSG) and Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (Newcastle).

What companies does the consortium own?

The three billionaires heading the new consortium holding the reigns at Chelsea Football Club boast incredible CVs.

Todd Boehly is co-owner of American baseball juggernaut and seven-time World Series champions LA Dodgers, owning a 20 per-cent share.

The American billionaire is also part-owner of US women’s basketball team Los Angeles Sparks - though that is not the only presence that Mr Boehly has in American basketball.

Together with Mark Walter - one of the two other main investors in the Chelsea takeover - the 46-year-old also has a 27 per-cent stake in NBA franchise Los Angeles Lakers.

Moreover the business catalogue of Mark Walter, the Iowa-born billionaire is the chief executive of Guggenheim Partners, which is a privately held global financial services company that has more than $310 billion in assets.

The new majority shareholder at Chelsea - Clearlake Capital - is a Californian private equity firm that has investments in various industries, such as food, real estate, life insurance and technology.

Swiss businessman and the last of three main investors in the London club, Hansjoerg Wyss, currently has a networth of $5 billion, amassing his fortune through the sale of Synthes - a medical device manufacturer - to Johnson & Johnson in 2012.

Mr Wyss also currently holds a stake in two biotech companies: Novocure and Molecular Partners.

How much did the consortium buy Chelsea FC for?

Roman Abrahmovic purchased Chelsea in 2003 for £140 million - at that point in time, the club had not won a Premier League title and zero UEFA Champions League triumphs.

19-years, five league titles and two European victories later - the Russian billionaire was forced to sell the club to the Todd Boehly consortium for an estimated £4.25 billion.

£2.5 million will be applied to the purchase of shares in the club - such proceeds that will be deposited into a frozen UK bank account, with Mr Abrahmovic intending to donate 100 per-cent to charitable causes.

The other £1.75 billion will be committed for further investment into Chelsea Football Club, including on infrastructure such as Stamford Bridge, the academy, the women’s team, Kingsmeadow and funding towards the Chelsea foundation.

What has Chelsea said?

In a statement on the official club website, Chelsea FC said: “Chelsea Football Club can confirm that terms have been agreed for a new ownership group, led by Todd Boehly, Clearlake Capital, Mark Walter and Hansjoerg Wyss, to acquire the Club.

“The sale is expected to complete in late May subject to all necessary regulatory approvals. More details will be provided at that time.”