NEW YORK – An investor group lead by low-profile private equity honcho William Chisholm made headlines Thursday by agreeing to buy the Boston Celtics in a deal worth an estimated whopping $6.1 billion.
It will be the highest price ever for an American professional sports team if the deal is approved by the NBA’s board of governors this summer. So who is leading the charge? Here's what we know about Chisholm, 56.
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HE GREW UP IN BOSTON AND IS A LIFELONG CELTICS FAN
In a statement released when the deal was announced, Chisholm said he grew up in the North Shore region of Massachusetts and is a lifelong, “die-hard” Celtics fan.
“I understand how important the Celtics are to the city of Boston — the role the team plays in the community is different than any other city in the country," he said.
HE'S AN IVY LEAGUER
He went to school in the Northeast, too. He received a B.A. from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. He received his MBA in strategic management from The Wharton School in Philadelphia in 1996.
HE MADE HIS MONEY IN TECH INVESTING
In 2002, Chisholm co-founded Symphony Technology Group, based in Menlo Park, California, which specializes in tech investing — in particular data, software, and analytics companies. During his tenure STG, where he serves as managing partner and chief investment officer, bought and combined tech companies McAfee Enterprise and FireEye to create the cybersecurity company Trellix in 2022. STG also acquired Survey Monkey-parent Momentive.
As of 2023, the company has raised nearly $10 billion across its private equity investment funds and has completed more than 100 investments. In 2023, STG closed on its seventh and largest fund, raising $4.2 billion.
Before STG, he had stints at consulting firm Bain & Co. and investment bank PaineWebber, and he co-founded risk consultant The Valent Group.
OTHER BACKGROUND
He and his wife Kimberly have three children. While STG is based in the Bay Area, he reportedly has a house in Nantucket and plans to buy a house in Boston as well.