Serena Williams, Lewis Hamilton join consortium bid to buy Chelsea
Thu, Apr 21, 2022
Soccer News (AP)
Tennis legend Serena Williams and Formula One star Lewis Hamilton may soon be part owners of one of the world's most popular soccer clubs. The pair is joining British businessman Martin Broughton's consortium bid to buy , according to Sky Sports. Broughton, who is the former chairman, also has a consortium that includes Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils owner Josh Harris and World Athletics president Sebastian Coe.
Williams and Hamilton have pledged an estimated £10 million ($13.06 million) each in the bid. Williams is no stranger to investing in a soccer club as she is already an investor in Los Angeles' , which is slated to debut in the National Women's Soccer League later this April.
Broughton also has a stake in , but is prepared to sell his stake if his consortium group wins the bidding war for Chelsea. His group also includes Canada's Rogers family, who owns the Blue Jays and Rogers Communications, as well as John Arnold, who chaired Houston's efforts for the 2026 FIFA World Cup bid committee. In addition, Taiwan's Tsai family is involved. They own the Taipei Fubon Braves basketball team, which plays in the ASEAN Basketball League, as well as the Fubon Guardians baseball team in China.
Chelsea was officially put up for sale in March by owner Roman Abramovich following sanctions that were imposed by the British government following ' invasion of Ukraine. The final bids for Chelsea were submitted earlier in April.
Some other prominent names in American sports have been connected to the bidding war. At one point, there was a consortium headed by the Ricketts family, who own the Chicago Cubs, to purchase the club, but they have since pulled out. Meanwhile, Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly and Boston Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca are also in the running to purchase the Premier League club.
