Lewis Hamilton and Serena Williams join bid to buy Chelsea
American Tennis star Serena Williams and British motorsports racing driver Lewis Hamilton have pledged an estimated USD 13.06 million (Euro 10 million) each to Sir Martin Broughton’s bid to buy the Premier League club Chelsea.
Driving for Chelsea FCWorld Athletics President Sebastian Coe, Private equity investors Josh Harris and David Blitz, who own the National Basketball Association team Philadelphia 76ers and other wealthy investors worldwide, are backing the former Liverpool chairman Sir Martin Broughton. The group has expressed their desire to maintain the top status of Chelsea.
Seven-times Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton and former tennis number one Serena Williams are the recent additions to the consortium of Sir Martin Broughton.
The representatives of Lewis Hamilton have confirmed that the 37-year-old has joined the bid to buy Chelsea. However, they said that the financial figure of Euro 1 million quoted is not accurate, but did not disclose any other details.
Serena Williams has also invested in the National Women’s Soccer League team Los Angeles’ Angel City FC. Representatives from Reuters have tried to get in touch with the representatives of Serena Williams.
Chelsea was put up for sale by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich due to the sanctions imposed on him by the British government following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February.
The sale of the current Champions League titleholders is being overseen by a US-based bank Raine Group. The group was responsible for creating a shortlist from the final bids for the Premier League club, which were submitted earlier this month.
Out of the four bidders selected in the shortlist, the Ricketts family investment group, owners of the Major League Baseball franchise team Chicago Cubs, have already pulled out of the race to buy Chelsea, citing fierce backlash from some Chelsea supporters. The patriarch of the family, Joe Ricketts, was accused of Islamophobia after a series of leaked emails.
Major League baseball team Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly and NBA team Boston Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca are the only competition left for the bid of Sir Martin Broughton, which has been further strengthened by the support of Serena Williams and Lewis Hamilton.
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