By Shaun Murphy-
Todd Boehly, an American businessman and philantropist,(pictured) is leading the race to pick up Chelsea football club, after Roman Abromavich was forced to give it up following sanctions from the West in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Boehly, the Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner and US business magnate is a highly-respected and successful British businessman who has Jonathan Goldstein, Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss and Mark Walter working with him as partners.
Boehly has been highly lauded in the campaigning around the Chelsea bidding.
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Clearlake Capital investment firm is understood to be providing potent financial backing to the Boehly bid. Boehly is the co-founder, chairman and chief executive of Eldridge Industries.
Sources say that Mr Boehly himself would own a significant minority stake in the club in the event of being the successful bidder, with his co-investors Mark Walter, Hansjorg Wyss and the London property developer Jonathan Goldstein also owning minority shareholdings.
However, Mr Boehly would have “operational control” of Chelsea, the source added. They added that all of the consortium members were partners who had worked together “for many years”.
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Also in the race for the highly esteemed Chelsea club is the Ricketts Family Investment Group, Sir Martin Broughton’s consortium and Stephen Pagliuca, all of whom comprise the remaining bidders set to take over from Roman Abramovich. The quartet, who have agreed to make cash-only offers according to the Times, were given extra time last week to table their final offers.
Club owner: Laura Rickets
Lauren Ricketts, an influential American political activist and former attorney, fronts a bid underpinned by major financial firepower from U.S multi-billionaires, Ken Griffin and Dan Gilbert.
The owners of baseball’s Chicago Cubs and have met with key club officials, including the Supporters’ Trust in an effort to convince them they can lead the European champions to a bright future.
Citadel chief executive Griffin and Quicken Loans and Rock Ventures owner Gilbert, who also own the Cleveland Cavaliers, boast a combined private net worth estimated to be more than £50billion.
Tom and Laura Ricketts have expressed their vision for an inclusive and diverse Chelsea, after the latter became the first openly gay sports franchise owner in the US on taking the Cubs helm. She also sits on the Barack Obama Foundation’s inclusion council.
The race for final bids to pick up the much sought after Chelsea club has been red hot, heading for Thursday’s deadline in one of the most public sports franchise sales in history. The competitors for the bid are varied with deep pockets and support, but only one will win the major prize of owning Chelsea.
British Airways Chairman
Former Liverpool and British Airways chairman, Sir Martin Broughton is also among the heavyweights compiling his own consortium bid, drawing in Lord Sebastian Coe.
U.S businessmen Josh Harris and David Blitzer are expected to be included in the funding, which would require the duo to divest their shareholding in Crystal Palace.
Sir Martin Broughton Image:BordeTelegraph,com
The 74-year-old Broughton joined British American Tobacco in 1971, rising to prominence as chairman and chief executive in 1998. The lifelong Chelsea supporter held a short chairmanship of Liverpool in 2010, ushering through the Reds’ sale to current owners the Fenway Sports Group.
World Athletics president and London 2012 Olympics chief Coe’s Government and establishment links strengthen the Broughton bid.
Tom and Laura Ricketts have been adamant in their vision for an inclusive and diverse Chelsea however. Laura Ricketts became the first openly gay sports franchise owner in the US on taking the Cubs helm, and sits on the Barack Obama Foundation’s inclusion council.
Chelsea supporters have raised concerns and even staged a small protest against the Ricketts’ candidacy over issues including historic tweets from family patriarch Joe Ricketts, who has no role either at the Cubs or in the bid for Chelsea.
The Boston Celtics co-owner boasts NBA chairman Larry Tanenbaum as co-managing partner in his consortium bid for the Blues.
Pagliuca is the co-chairman of Bain Capital, and has a shareholding in Italian Serie A club Atalanta. That shareholding would require a reduction should his bid for the Blues prove successful.
Former Disney chief executive Bob Iger, Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin and businesswoman Elaine Saverin are also involved in the bid.
Peter Guber, who has stakes in the Golden State Warriors, LA Dodgers and Los Angeles FC, has also joined the consortium. Further partners include B Capital founder Raj Ganguly, venture capitalist Jim Breyer, investor John Burbank and tech entrepreneur Div Turakhia.
A source close to the situation said that Mr Boehly himself would own a significant minority stake in the club, with his co-investors Mark Walter, Hansjorg Wyss and the London property developer Jonathan Goldstein also owning minority shareholdings.
They added that all of the consortium members were partners who had worked together “for many years”.
Lord Finkelstein, a Times journalist, and Barbara Charone, a celebrity publicist are expected to join Chelsea’s board as non-executive directors if the Boehly bid is successful, it emerged last month.
The Chelsea supporters’ group which counts former Blues captain John Terry among its founders threw its weight behind Mr Pagliuca’s bid on Wednesday.
Over 10,000 Chelsea fans have expressed an interest in owning shares as part of the deal that will see Roman Abramovich replaced as the club’s owner.
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