Todd Boehly is an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He was born on September 20, 1973, in Connecticut, United States [1]. Boehly grew up in Bethesda, Maryland, where he attended Landon School and was part of the wrestling team. He was a two-time winner of the Independent Athletic Conference wrestling championship in 1990 and 1991. The wrestling department at Landon School was renamed the Boehly Family Wrestling Room in honor of Todd Boehly and his contributions [7].
Boehly studied at the College of William & Mary in Virginia and the London School of Economics in England [5]. After completing his education, he started his career at Credit Suisse First Boston and JH Whitney & Company [6]. Later, he joined Guggenheim Partners in 2001, where he served as president and helped build its credit business. In 2015, Boehly co-founded Eldridge Industries, a private investment firm based in Greenwich, Connecticut [2].
Under Boehly’s leadership, Eldridge Industries has made investments in over 70 operating businesses, including Security Benefit, of which Boehly is chairman, dick clark productions, A24, Fulwell 73, and Penske Media, which includes The Hollywood Reporter and Variety [3]. Boehly also co-owns Premier League football club, Chelsea, after he and his consortium completed the acquisition of the club from Roman Abramovich in 2022 in a deal worth over $5 billion [4].
Apart from his business and investment ventures, Boehly is also a philanthropist. He and his wife, Katie Boehly, co-founded the Boehly Center for Excellence in Finance, which is dedicated to promoting financial literacy and education. Boehly also serves as the interim CEO of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association [1].
Boehly has a net worth of $4.6 billion, according to Forbes [2].
Chelsea F.C. Ownership
Todd Boehly’s ownership of Chelsea Football Club began in May 2022 when his consortium won the race to buy the club from Roman Abramovich [5]. The deal was worth £4.25 billion, and Boehly was named the new owner of the club [6].
Boehly, a billionaire businessman and philanthropist, co-founded the holding company Eldridge Industries in 2015 [2]. Before that, he spent over a decade at Guggenheim Partners, building up the credit business and serving as president of the management company [1]. He is also the co-owner and chairman of Premier League football club Swansea City.
The acquisition of Chelsea by Boehly’s consortium marked the end of an era for Roman Abramovich, who had owned the club since 2003 and presided over a hugely successful period that saw the Blues win numerous domestic and international titles. The Russian billionaire had faced difficulties in recent years, however, including visa issues that prevented him from attending Chelsea matches in the UK and tensions between the UK and Russia that led to sanctions [4].
Boehly’s takeover of Chelsea was met with mixed reactions from fans and pundits alike. Some expressed optimism about his plans for the club, which included a vision of “glossy spectacle and ruthless profit” [2]. Others were critical of the amount of money spent on transfers and the lack of immediate success on the pitch, with Chelsea struggling to maintain consistency in the Premier League under manager Thomas Tuchel [9].
Despite the early challenges faced by Boehly and his team, the new owner has vowed to build on Chelsea’s “remarkable history of success” and bring more trophies to Stamford Bridge [1]. With his experience in handling sports teams and his considerable wealth, Boehly could potentially transform Chelsea into a dominant force in European football.