American tycoon Ken Griffin 'makes BLOCKBUSTER bid for Chelsea' (2024)

The Chelsea ownership battle is ramping up after American tycoon Ken Griffin joined forces with the Ricketts Family to become the latest party to confirm their interest in buying the club.

And Sportsmailhas learned that the astronomically wealthy American family tried to buy Chelsea in 2018, with sources claiming they even made a formal offer for the club.

As part of those efforts, the Ricketts family completed extensive due diligence, which they feel gives them a head start in the race to become the club’s new owners.

There is an understanding that there is more groundwork to complete given their previous interest stretches back four years, nevertheless the family believe they are ready to move quickly with a bid with just two days to go until the deadline for offers.

With just two days to go until the deadline for bids, the Ricketts Family - who own the Chicago Cubs baseball franchise - have gone public with their intention to bid for the Stamford Bridge club by Friday's deadline.

It is understood the Ricketts' have teamed up with Griffin, the billionaire hedge fund tycoon, to form a consortium to buy Chelsea.

'The Ricketts Family, owners of the Chicago Cubs, can confirm they will be leading an investment group that will make a formal bid for Chelsea Football Club this Friday (March 18),' read a statement.

'As long-time operators of an iconic professional sports team, the Ricketts Family and their partners understand the importance of investing for success on the pitch, while respecting the traditions of the club, the fans and the community.

'We look forward to sharing further details of our plans in due course.'

Griffin is the founder and chief executive of Citadel, an American multinational hedge fund and financial services company.

Forbes recently estimated the 53-year-old's wealth at £20billion ($26.5bn), which makes him the reported 45th richest man in America and the wealthiest individual in the public domain interested in solving Chelsea's crisis by buying the club from Roman Abramovich.

The Ricketts' family fortune came from founding an online trading company called TD Ameritrade.

They then acquired TD Waterhouse for $1.7 billion, and renamed the company TD Ameritrade, and is now called The Charles Schwab Corporation.

Joe Ricketts stepped down as their chairman in 2008 but he and his family still own just under 12 per cent of the company, while his son Todd sits on the board.

His son Peter was also elected governor of Nebraska in 2014.

The family - including Cubs chairman Tom and his three siblings Peter, Laura, and Todd - have since gone on to share ownership of the Cubs with their parents since 2009 through their family trust.

They have enjoyed success in the last six years in Major League Baseball, overseeing the Cubs' third World Series win in their history in 2016.

Intriguingly, the Ricketts family also funded a redevelopment of the Chicago Cubs’ home Wrigley Field, which is located in the heart of the city.

With Stamford Bridge, which is also located in the middle of the Chelsea and Fulham community, in need of an upgrade the experience of developing Wrigley could benefit their bid.

However, their bid could face external issues with their bid due to historic comments made by Joe Ricketts that saw him say ‘Muslims are my enemy’ in a series of leaked emails. He later apologised for the emails.

The Ricketts and Griffin group look set to become one of the lead contenders to be selected as preferred bidder following Friday’s deadline.

Merchant bank Raine, who are advising Chelsea with the sale, are keen to finalise a shortlist of bidders - potentially as few as three - by the end of the weekend. Sources have suggested a preferred bidder could be in place by the end of next week.

LA Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly, who is leading a consortium which includes Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss and Jonathan Goldstein, are believed to have already made an offer of up to £2.5billion.

Likewise, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson is also said to be assembling a bid together, while British property developer Nick Candy remains a contender.

And in a unexpected twist yesterday, Candy distanced himself from reports that he has sought to team up with Boehly and Tottenham fan Goldstein.

There had been suggestions that Candy had reached out to the group involving Boehly, Goldstein and Wyss but the UK businessman is adamant that is not the case and says he does not want to team up with a Spurs fan to buy Chelsea.

A spokesperson for the Candy bid said: This is a completely unsubstantiated rumour. There are no talks underway with Nick Candy and the Todd Boehly and Jonathan Goldstein consortium, not least because Mr Candy does not want a lifelong Spurs fan as part of the future ownership of Chelsea Football Club.’

And in a statement issued to Sportsmail yesterday, Ghanian businessman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, who owns a gold mine. confirmed his interest in Chelsea.

A spokesman for Boasiako told Sportsmail: ‘Bernard Antwi Boasiako is exploring a potential offer for Chelsea. Discussions with various parties involved in the sale have taken place.

‘Chelsea has a lasting legacy in Africa, players like Didier Drogba and Michael Essien are legends of the club; the opportunity to enhance the club’s reputation in Africa is a very tempting prospect.

‘Restoring stability and ensuring there are no job losses are among the priorities.’

Meanwhile, Chelsea have been cleared to play the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Lille, despite Abramovich being added to the European Union's sanction 'black list'.

Fears had grown in France that Wednesday's Champions League clash would not be able to go ahead after the EU followed the UK Government in sanctioning Chelsea's Russian owner due to his links to Vladimir Putin.

After Abramovich's British assets were frozen last week, placing Chelsea under a transfer embargo and preventing them from selling tickets and merchandise amongst other prohibitions, the club were issued a special Government licence to continue football operations in the UK.

Reports in France suggested they would need a similar licence to face Lille at theStade Pierre Mauroy, but a UEFA official has told i that the EU will be following the UK's sanctions, meaning they are still able to compete in the Champions League.