Bill Chisholm leads record Celtics purchase for $6.1 billion
The NBA Board of Governors approved the sale of the Boston Celtics to a group led by private equity magnate Bill Chisholm. The deal values the franchise at $6.1 billion. The transaction is expected to close soon. Upon completion, Chisholm will take possession of at least 51% of the team, with full control by 2028, at a price that could raise the total value to $7.3 billion.This is the largest amount paid for a professional American sports team. The previous record was held by the Washington Commanders, for which $6.05 billion was paid in 2023. The highest price for an NBA team was $4 billion, paid by Mat Ishbia for the Phoenix Suns in 2023.
Chisholm, a Massachusetts native and graduate of Dartmouth College and Penn’s Wharton School of Business, is a managing partner at Symphony Technology Group, based in California. The new ownership group also includes Boston entrepreneurs Rob Hale, a current Celtics shareholder, and Bruce Beal Jr. Wyc Grousbeck led the ownership group that purchased the team in 2002 for $360 million and presided over the NBA championships in 2008 and 2024. The franchise’s 18 NBA titles are a league record. Chisholm outbid at least two other groups, one led by former Celtics minority partner Steve Pagliuca. Pagliuca announced plans to buy the Connecticut Sun for $325 million and move the team to Boston, but the sale and potential relocation are subject to approval by the WNBA Board of Governors.
