The NBA world was caught off guard when they heard that the Boston Celtics franchise had changed ownership with the biggest sale in recent history. Although the Celtics are considered basketball royalty and a historic franchise, they can also be considered a business that owners view simply from the perspective of profit and loss.
While fans knew that in the back of their minds, they were still stunned to hear that William Chisholm had become the new owner of the Celtics after buying them from their previous owner, Wyc Grousbeck. Since this is certainly big news, a closer look at Chisholm and his background is essential.
How Did William Chisholm Make His Money To Buy the Boston Celtics?
Chisholm is clearly among the country’s financial elite. After all, very few businessmen have the resources to purchase a team like the Celtics. He also didn’t mind paying the high price of $6.1 billion to complete this deal.
NBA Insider Shams Charania reported this, instantly informing the NBA world about Chisholm’s presence and existence. It turns out that he is the managing partner and chief investing officer for Symphony Technology Group. STG is a private equity firm that has been in business for more than two decades.
BREAKING: Bill Chisholm, managing partner at Symphony Technology Group, has agreed to purchase the Boston Celtics from the Grousbeck family for a valuation for $6.1 billion, sources tell ESPN. This now is the largest sale for a sports franchise in North America. pic.twitter.com/iPphqSQswe
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 20, 2025
As many may have guessed, STG invests in companies that display great potential to generate extraordinary returns. With Chisholm as one of its three founding partners, the company saw great success.
Chisholm appears to have a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College, as well as an MBA with distinction from The Wharton School.
Although, Chisholm is now in charge, he has asked Grousbeck to stay on for the next three years as CEO and help the transition process.
Wyc Grousbeck says in a statement that new Boston Celtics owner William Chisholm 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.”
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) March 20, 2025
In any case, Chisholm was likely able to buy the Celtics and still keep his status successful entrepreneur. Since the team won the NBA championship last season, its value has been at an all-time high. There have also been reports that Grousbeck had been looking to move on from the team for quite a while.
All of this speaks of internal matters that occur within franchises. Many will remember that Mark Cuban also recently sold his majority stake ownership with the Mavs. Perhaps he made the right move since the team had made it all the way to the Finals and is unlikely to get as close again.
In any case, the real question will be what changes Chisholm wants to bring to the Celtics and how the organization perceives him. Although he was very successful with STG, managing an NBA team will likely be a very different challenge for him.
