Who is Bill Chisholm? Everything to know about the new Boston Celtics owner

The Boston Basketball Partners LLC has just announced the sale of NBA team Boston Celtics to an investor group headed by Bill Chisholm. The sale, announced on March 20, is pending approval by NBA Board of Governors.

Bill Chisholm is a Massachusetts native who co-founded the private equity firm Symphony Technology Group, according to CBS Sports. Chisholm is also the managing partner of the California-based company, which he founded in 2002 as per Sportico.

Bill Chisholm’s $6.1 billion purchase of the Celtics has set a record for the most amount of money that any professional sports franchise has been sold for in the U.S., according to CBS Sports. The second most expensive franchise sale has been that of the Washington Commanders, the NFL team that was purchased for $6.05 billion in 2023.

Chisholm, who got his bachelor's degree in New England at the Dartmouth College, attended the Wharton School, where he received an MBA with distinction, according to the Symphony Technology Group’s website. According to his profile on the website, Chisholm also has extensive experience on the board of directors of firms such as CAI Software, eProductivity Software, Skyhigh Security, and Trellix, among others. Chisholm, who is 56 years old, oversaw the merging of McAfee Enterprise and FireEye into Trellix in 2022, as per the Associated Press.

Chisholm, who has expanded his business ventures with the purchase of the Celtics, has a strong profile in the tech investment and management business. According to Sportico, Chisholm worked at Bain & Company and the former PaineWebber, Inc., and co-founded The Valent Group before founding the Symphony Technology Group.

Chisholm’s purchase of the Celtics is related to his childhood love for the franchise. In fact, in an interview with ESPN, Chisholm said,

“This process to buy the team started just under 50 years ago when I had my 7th birthday and attended a game at the old Boston Garden…I was hooked ever since. I've been a rabid fan ever since. I bleed green. I love the Celtics. When this opportunity came up, I couldn't pass it up.”

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About Bill Chisholm’s purchase of the Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics, who emerged victorious as NBA champions in the 2024 finals against the Dallas Mavericks played in June, were owned by the Boston Basketball Partners LLC, led by the Grousbeck family. Wyc Grousbeck, the current CEO and Governor who oversaw the deal with Bill Chisholm, will remain in a leadership position with the Celtics till the 2025-2028 season, according to Business Wire.

Grousbeck was quoted in the Business Wire appreciating the passion Chisholm brings to the table. He said,

"Bill is a terrific person and a true Celtics fan, born and raised here in the Boston area. His love for the team and the city of Boston, along with his chemistry with the rest of the Celtics leadership, make him a natural choice to be the next Governor and controlling owner of the team.”

Continuing, Grousbeck, who put the franchise on the market in July after its championship win, emphasized Bill Chisholm’s leadership qualities, saying,

“I know he appreciates the importance of the Celtics and burns with a passion to win on the court while being totally committed to the community. Quite simply, he wants to be a great owner. He has asked me to run the team as CEO and Governor for the first three years, and stay on as his partner, and I am glad to do so.”

Bill Chisholm and his group were bidding in competition with four groups, per Sportico. The team comprising the investor group headed by Bill Chisholm, which made the successful bid to buy the Celtics, consists of private equity firm Sixth Street, Rob Hale, a current minority owner of the Celtics, and Bruce A. Beal Jr., the president of a real estate firm, as per CBS Sports.

Bill Chisholm is already starting his activities as the new owner of the Boston Celtics. The Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach reported that Chisholm spoke to the team's president and the coach. Himmelsbach wrote on X,

"I'm told that new Celtics owner Bill Chisholm spoke with Brad Stevens 'in depth' in recent days and is scheduled to speak with coach Joe Mazzulla today."

Sportico estimates that the mega deal of the Celtics’ sale will likely impact the NBA's expansion plan, wherein it intends to add two additional teams. Amid the release of the docuseries Celtic City on the history of the franchise, it is clear that fans are waiting for what the franchise has in store during the upcoming season.