It is possible to invest in a football club and walk away quids in.
Mark Walter is expecting to make a profit when he sells his 12.8 per cent stake in Chelsea to majority owner Clearlake Capital. Co-owner Todd Boehly, who also owns 12.8 per cent of the club, and Walter are in talks with Clearlake to be bought out.
Both men, along with Hansjorg Wyss (12.8 per cent) and Clearlake (61.5 per cent), formed a consortium to buy Chelsea from the sanctioned Roman Abramovich for £2.3billion in June 2022.
An agreement with Clearlake to purchase Walter’s and Boehly’s shares is close, reports _The New York Times._
The possibility of a buyout within the consortium has been there since _The Athletic_ reported a breakdown in relations between Boehly and Clearlake two years ago. Sources close to the U.S. private equity firm have always insisted they had no interest in selling to Boehly or Walter, and were more likely to increase its shareholding than walk away.