Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton and tennis star Serena Williams, both legends of their sport, have agreed to invest millions of pounds to join Sir Martin Broughton’s Chelsea takeover bid and become minority shareholders in the club.
Arsenal fan Hamilton, 37, who has won seven F1 titles, is heading towards retirement and his potential investment in one of Europe’s leading football clubs is seen as a nod towards the future. A spokesperson for Hamilton confirmed his involvement but denied his contribution would be as high as £10m, as first reported.
Williams, the 41-year-old former world No 1 and 23-time Grand Slam winner, has already begun investing in football and has a stake in American women’s team Angel City FC. Sky News first revealed the pair’s interest.
Financial experts do not believe either will expect to receive a significant return on their investment but consider it to be a trophy asset purchase. Their investment will give them access to entertain clients in the directors’ box at Stamford Bridge and also affords them links to extremely wealthy business circles.
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Formula One driver Max Verstappen aimed a playful dig at his rival Hamilton after the story emerged. “I am a PSV fan and I would never buy Ajax,” he said. “And if I was going to buy a football club I would want to be the full owner and to take the decisions myself, not own just a tiny percentage.
“I thought he was an Arsenal fan? And if you are an Arsenal fan going for Chelsea, that it is quite interesting. But everyone does what they want with their money so let’s see what comes out of it.”
Neither Hamilton or Williams is expected to resume a controlling role in the club, if Broughton’s bid is successful, and as such will not have to be vetted by the Premier League as part of their Owners’ and Directors’ Test.
Only shareholders with a stake of 30 per cent or more, or individuals who will have active control over how the club is run, such as directors or executives, are required to be assessed by Premier League officials.
But the revelation will further boost Broughton’s bid for Chelsea as the final three bidding parties await to discover who American merchant bank Raine Group, enlisted by Roman Abramovich to sell the club after he was sanctioned for supporting the Russian war in Ukraine, pick.
Broughton, the former Liverpool and British Airways chairman, is competing against a consortium led by LA Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly and Boston Celtics owner Steve Pagliuca.
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A final decision is not expected this week but the new owners and directors must first be cleared by the Premier League before the Treasury signs off on special dispensation to allow Abramovich to sell his asset while under sanctions, ensuring none of the proceeds go to the Russian billionaire. It is thought that the final fee could reach £3bn.
Other investors involved with Broughton’s bid include Taiwan’s Tsai family and Rogers Communications, the Canadian telecoms company.
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