Lewis Hamilton and Serena Williams have joined one of three groups forming the “shortlist” for Chelsea’s takeover as the Premier League club’s auction enters its final stage.
The British F1 driver and the American tennis legend are backing the bid organized by Martin Broughton, one of London’s financial leaders, and private equity billionaires Josh Harris and David Blitzer, according to people briefed on the matter.
Hamilton and Williams have become part of a group trying to acquire Chelsea from Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who is targeted by sanctions and has decided to sell the club as a result of Russia’s war with Ukraine. The club has a global profile, is one of the most recognizable teams in the Premier League and its sale is attracting some of the richest investors on the planet.
It is unknown how much capital Hamilton and Williams are willing to invest, however. Pay-TV channel Sky News, which reported their involvement, said they had pledged to invest around £10m each in the transaction.
A spokeswoman for Hamilton confirmed that he had joined the Broughton consortium, but said the figures on his investment were unfounded, although he declined to give the correct amount.
Williams, who has won 23 Grand Slam tournaments, has earned $94 million in prize money over his nearly three-decade tennis career. In March, his company, Serena Ventures, said it had raised $111 million in capitalization to create a new investment fund.
Representatives for Williams did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
US financier Todd Boehly is leading a rival bid for Chelsea, backed by Clearlake Capital, while sports moguls Stephen Pagliuca and Larry Tanenbaum also submitted a bid last week.
A fourth group, backed by Chicago’s Ricketts family, hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin and NBA Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, pulled out of the auction last week.
Investment bank Raine Group is organizing the sale process, which is entering its final stages, with the announcement of a preferential offer expected perhaps as early as next week. The winner will need to get approval from the UK government and the Premier League before the takeover can be completed.
Hamilton and Williams’ involvement in the Chelsea bid came after diversity became a key theme at the auction, when the Ricketts family drew renewed criticism from Chelsea fans over remarks hostile to Islam made by their patriarch in emails leaked to the press. .
A person close to Hamilton pointed to his experience in the sport and promoting diversity and inclusion as potential benefits for Chelsea.
Hamilton, who has won seven F1 world titles, is the first black driver in the category. He sought to promote diversity in motorsport and led his sport’s response when police murdered George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020.
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