Sprawled out in the chief field, flashing a toothy grin underneath a greying head of swept-back hair whilst dressed in a couple of darkish aviators, Todd Boehly is an intriguing determine that naturally attracts a number of focal point.
However, the American billionaire is just one a part of the consortium which obtained Chelsea in the most important sports activities franchise acquire ever. Clearlake Capital has taken extra of a again seat to Boehly however the Santa Monica-based buyout company stocks joint regulate and equivalent governance of the membership.
In a bid to dilute the Boehly blindness, here is the whole lot you wish to have to find out about Clearlake Capital and the primary figures of Chelsea’s subdued part-owners.
According to the corporate’s stripped again website: “Clearlake currently has over $70bn [£58bn] of assets under management, and its senior investment principals have led or co-led over 400 investments.”
Shortly after acquiring Chelsea in the summer of 2022, Clearlake secured funding for its seventh flagship vehicle with $14.1bn in commitments. The company’s previous investment had attracted $7bn just two years prior. This sizeable jump ensured that Clearlake was ranked as the second-largest buyout fund in the US by Forbes.
Behdad Eghbali (Co-founder)
Behdad Eghbali has been probably the most provide member of Clearlake Capital at Chelsea for the reason that takeover went via final May. The Iran-born former funding banker ceaselessly patrols Chelsea Cobham coaching floor and is closely concerned in the membership’s switch dealings – Eghbali reportedly led the group that flew out to fulfill Shakhtar Donetsk’s representatives to finalise the January arrival of Mykhaylo Mudryk.
Eghbali arrived in america as a ten-year-old – on a vacationer visa to begin with in keeping with The Athletic – ahead of setting up himself as some of the wealthiest people in the sector via a respected manipulation of the personal fairness sphere. Forbes values Eghbali’s non-public web value at $4.3bn (£3.6bn). This is a hefty determine Eghbali stocks along with his fellow Clearlake co-founder Jose E. Feliciano.
Jose E. Feliciano (Co-founder)
Feliciano was once the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of govWorks which declared chapter at first of the twenty first century however pivoted thereafter to shape Clearlake in 2006 with Eghbali and Steven Chang ahead of the latter left the company in 2015. Feliciano is “responsible for the day-to-day management of the firm” in keeping with his profile on RFK Human Rights.
Feliciano has performed a much more reserved position than Eghbali in the acquisition of Chelsea however did remark at the “fascinating” publicity proudly owning a soccer membership brings. “In the past 24 months we’ve probably done a dozen transactions, six or seven which had an inter-price value greater than the value of Chelsea,” Feliciano printed. “Most people in this room will have no idea about the IPG, Cornerstone, nobody has a clue but Chelsea everybody has an opinion, a lot of people have an opinion, particularly in Europe.”
Chelsea are the primary sports activities franchise that Clearlake has invested in, with the corporate prior to now that specialize in instrument – although it has held stocks in a hand-cut jerky project in the previous. As Clearlake stays entangled with Chelsea, Feliciano will proceed to find that little escapes public scrutiny in the fishbowl global of soccer.