https://www.pressherald.com/2025/03/12/four-bidders-revealed-in-celtics-sale-process
In addition to team co-owner Stephen Pagliuca, three outside groups have made initial bids for the franchise.
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The identities of four bidders for the Boston Celtics emerged on Wednesday. The Friedkin Group, Phillies minority owner Stan Middleman, and Symphony Technology Group managing partner William Chisholm are involved in the bidding, along with current Celtics co-owner Stephen Pagliuca, according to a report from Sportico.
The next round of bids is due at the end of this week after a first round occurred in January.
Bloomberg was first to report on Chisholm’s involvement. He is the managing partner and Chief Investment Officer at Symphony Technology Group, a private equity firm based in California, which he co-founded in 2002.
Pagliuca previously announced his interest in a purchase last summer. In addition to being a co-owner on the Celtics, Pagliuca holds an ownership stake in Atalanta, an Italian soccer team.
The Friedkin Group, based in Texas, has a hand in automotive, entertainment, hospitality and sports as part of its overall portfolio. According to Forbes, the owner and CEO, Dan Friedkin is worth around $7.5 billion. The sports portfolio includes Italian soccer club AS Roma and the English Premier League’s Everton, which it acquired in December 2024.
Middleman is the CEO and president of Freedom Mortgage. He bought a stake in the Philadelphia Phillies in 2023, and was previously interested in ownership stakes with the Guardians and Nationals.
The Grousbeck family announced their intention to sell the team last July in a two-part process. The initial stage of the sale (51%) is set to be completed during 2025. The remaining portion of the sale would be done in 2028.
Team governor Wyc Grousbeck has also announced he intends to remain in his role until the entire sale closes in 2028. The Grousbeck-led ownership group purchased the Celtics for $360 million in 2002.
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