Mark Walter has explored selling his stake in Chelsea FC to Clearlake Capital, the club’s majority owner, as he looks to raise funds and address loans linked to his insurers’ balance sheet.

People familiar with the matter said Walter’s family office contacted Clearlake in recent days about a possible sale. They asked not to be named because the talks are private. No decision has been made on the potential deal.

Why Walter Is Considering a Sale

Walter’s holding company, TWG Global, has been pursuing several deals. The aim is to clean up loans on his insurers’ balance sheet. The loans have drawn scrutiny from federal prosecutors.

Last week, Walter agreed to sell the Los Angeles Lakers to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger for a record $12.5 billion.

The Chelsea discussions come after the club’s owners held talks about their stakes over the past two years. However, the talks have repeatedly broken down over price.

Chelsea is valued at about $4 billion by Sportico. Clearlake owns about 61.5% of the club. Walter, Todd Boehly and Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss own the rest, either directly or through linked investment vehicles.

Walter held a 16% stake in the club in 2024, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Chelsea Ownership Dispute

Clearlake and Boehly led a group that bought Chelsea from Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich in 2022. The deal was worth about £2.5 billion.

However, the relationship between Clearlake and Boehly later became strained. The two sides disagreed over the direction of the club after a period of heavy spending under Boehly.

In September 2024, Clearlake and Boehly began looking at whether one could buy out the other.

Clearlake has since become more involved in running Chelsea. The club won the new Club World Cup in 2025. However, it has continued to struggle in the Premier League.

Football Clubs Attract Big Investors

The possible Chelsea stake sale comes as football clubs continue to attract major investors.

Last week, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos became a shareholder in Liverpool FC. The deal valued the club at about $6 billion.

Sportico values Real Madrid at about $7.7 billion. Barcelona and Manchester United are valued at about $6.5 billion each

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