William “Bill” Chisholm is set to become the next owner of the Boston Celtics in the largest sale for a North American sports franchise. Chisholm led a group that will buy the team in a $6.1 billion deal, Sportico reported.
“When we announced the sale of the team last July, we noted how important it was to us that the next owner of the Celtics fully appreciated what this team means to the city it represents and its fans far and wide,” current owners Irving and Wyc Grousbeck said in a letter to investors Thursday. “We know that Bill does (quiz him on Celtics trivia if you want to be sure).”
Wyc Grousbeck will stay on as CEO and Governor, overseeing team operations through the 2027-2028 NBA season.
Here’s a quick rundown of what to know about Chisholm, the man set to become the new Celtics owner, pending league approval.
Who is Bill Chisholm?
Chisholm was born and raised in Georgetown, Mass., 30 miles north of Boston. He played soccer at Dartmouth from 1988 to 1991 and then studied at Penn’s Wharton School, joining Bain & Company in 1996.
As an investor, Chisholm is the hands-on manager of Menlo Park, Calif.-based Symphony Technology Group (STG), a private equity firm with roughly $10 billion in assets under management that focuses on developing software businesses. Prior to starting STG in 2002, he also co-founded The Valent Group. Chisholm owns about a quarter of STG with cofounder Romesh Wadhwani holding the rest, according to a 2024 regulatory filing.
The Chisholm family has primarily lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, and they have been active in supporting type 1 diabetes research through leadership positions on the local board of Breakthrough T1D, formerly called the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Bill’s wife, Kimberly, is a published author who previously taught at Cal-Berkeley. She discusses literature on YouTube and in online classes.
They also have homes in the Northeast, with the intention of buying property in Boston, according to a report from The Boston Globe.
What is Symphony Technology Group?
According to a 2009 profile of STG by Forbes, the company is known for a traditional private equity approach of seeking to improve portfolio companies’ operations with its in-house know-how. As of 2016, the company boasted more than 15,000 employees. In past interviews, Chisholm has emphasized STG’s single-sector focus, staff of experienced operators and desire to grow or “transform” portfolio companies.
What is Bill Chisholm’s net worth?
Chisholm’s net worth has not been publicly reported. However, STG has continued to grow in recent years. The company debuted on Buyouts’ list of the top 100 PE firms in terms of fundraising, with STG placing 54th thanks to its nearly $10 billion haul across five years.
The STG VI fund, which closed on $2 billion in 2020, generated an IRR of 6.48% as of 2023, Buyouts reported based on public records.
Wadhwani, who stepped aside as STG CEO in 2017, has an estimated net worth of $5 billion.
Who else is buying the Boston Celtics?
Chisholm’s group includes current Celtics stakeholder Rob Hale and Related Companies president Bruce A. Beal Jr., as well as global investment firm Sixth Street. NBA teams are allowed to sell private equity groups up to 30% of each franchise, with no single fund able to own 20% of a club. Controlling owners are required to hold at least 15% of their team.
The bidders beat out three other contenders for the Celtics, topping the previous high paid for an NBA team—$4 billion for the Phoenix Suns in 2022—by 50%.
What are Bill Chisholm’s plans for the Celtics?
While Chisholm has yet to address the media, he emphasized the franchise’s role in the Boston community—and his desire to bring more titles to TD Garden—in a statement announcing the sale.
In a separate statement, Wyc Grousbeck said Chisholm “burns with a passion to win on the court.”
The Celtics have signed core players to top-of-the-market deals, with a potential luxury tax bill of $280 million coming due in 2025-26.