William F. Chisholm Jr. is an American businessman. He is the managing partner and chief investment officer for STG Partners, LLC, a private equity firm, and has been the owner of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s Boston Celtics since 2025. He purchased the Celtics for a record $6.1 billion.Primack, Dan (March 21, 2025). The Boston Celtics sale raises lots of questions. AXIOS.
Early life Chisholm grew up in Georgetown, Massachusetts. His father, William F. Chisholm Sr. (1929–2017), played a role in establishing the Georgetown High School soccer program, Obituary: William F. Chisholm, 1929-2017. and his mother, Judy Chisholm, worked as an administrative assistant at Brooks School.CNHI (March 22, 2025). New Celtics Owner Wins Praise from His Brooks Family. Chisholm and his siblings attended Brooks School, where he played basketball, lacrosse, and soccer, and led the soccer team to its first ever Class A New England Prep championship. In his senior year, he won The Boston Globe's All-Scholastic award for soccer.Burt, Bill (March 21, 2025). Photo: Chisholm Award. The Eagle-Tribune. He graduated from Brooks in 1987.
He went to Dartmouth College, where he played for the soccer teamHall, Alex (March 20, 2025). New Celtics owner Chisholm found his role on Dartmouth men's soccer team. Union Leader. and was a member of Alpha Chi Alpha. He graduated from Dartmouth in 1991. Dartmouth College Commencement Exercises. Sunday, June 9, 1991. Hanover, New Hampshire. He later received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1996.FAFCO INC. (April 7, 1999). Form DEF 14A. Definitive proxy statements. Filing Date: 1999-04-07. Period of Report: 1998-12-31. SEC Accession No. 0000352956-99-000008. Securities and Exchange Commission. He grew up a fan of the Boston Celtics and is reported to have an "encyclopedic knowledge" of the team.
Career After graduating from Dartmouth, Chisholm worked as an analyst for PaineWebber in New York.Clan Chisholm Society Newsletter (Spring/Summer 1991). American Branch, Clan Chisholm Society. 5. From January 1994 to August 1994, he served as chief financial officer of International Sports Publishing. From August 1996 to January 2000, he served as a management consultant at Bain & Company.FAFCO INC. (June 7, 2002). Schedule 14-A Information. "From January 1994 to August 1996, Mr. Chisholm attended Wharton Business School where he received a Master of Business Administration degree. From August 1996 to January 2000, Mr. Chisholm served as a management consultant at Bain & Company, an international strategy consulting firm. In February 2000, Mr. Chisholm joined Symphony Technology Group, a venture capital firm, as a Partner. Mr. Chisholm is the son-in-law of Mr. Freeman A. Ford, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company." Securities and Exchange Commission. 4.Gee, Kevin (March 24, 2025). Letter #272: Bill Chisholm (2014). Transcript of interviews. Substack. In 1999, Chisholm was elected to the board of directors of FAFCO INC., a solar pool heating company that was headed by his father-in-law, Freeman A. Ford.FAFCO INC. (April 14, 2000). Form DEF 14A. Definitive proxy statements. Filing Date: 2000-04-14 | Period of Report: 1999-12-31 SEC Accession No. 0000352956-00-000010. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company ceased operations in 2024.Szumlanski, Jason (November 27, 2024). Farewell to FAFCO. Florida Solar Design Group.
According to an SEC filing, Chisholm was a partner of the Valent Group, an early-stage venture firm, from January 2000 to January 2002.Form S-4 (October 3, 2003). Information Resources, Inc. Litigation Contingent Payment Rights Trust. Annex C: Directors and Executive Officers. Securities and Exchange Commission. In February 2000, Romesh Wadhwani invited Chisholm to join Symphony Technology Group (Symphony), a venture capital firm, as a partner.Forbes (August 20, 2009). Private Equity Done Right. see "William Chisholm, who has worked for Wadhwani for seven years, recalls how the Saturday before the deal closed he was summoned to his boss' home." In August 2001, Chisholm acquired a "less than 5%" ownership in Symphony.Symphony Technology Group (March 28, 2025). FORM ADV: Uniform Application for Investment Adviser Registration and Report By Exempt Reporting Advisers. Symphony Technology Group, LLC. FINRA CRD # 160676. SEC file number: 801-73246. Form submitted 3/28/2025 7:00:20 PM. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In July 2002, Chisholm through his living trust acquired "5% but less than 10%" ownership in Symphony. In 2017, Wadhwani retired as Symphony's CEO, and the firm was reconfigured as STG Partners, LLC.Investment Adviser Brochure (March 30, 2020). Symphony Technology Group, LLC. see “STG Partners LLC was founded in 2017 … to succeed the Management Company (Symphony) and is led by William Chisholm. The Management Company (Symphony) and STG Partners have different ownership, but have significant overlap with regard to advisory personnel, investment strategy and processes. The Management Company receives services from employees of STG Partners, who also provide services to STG Partners, Fund V and portfolio companies of Fund V. Additionally, Fund V may invest in portfolio companies that are the same as, or similar to, portfolio companies invested in by the Funds.”STG Partners (November 16, 2020). TG raises $2.0 billion for STG VI in a four-month fully virtual fundraise. see "About STG Partners: STG and its predecessor, Symphony Technology Group ('Symphony'), …"STG Partners, LLC (March 29, 2024). Investment Adviser Firm Summary. FORM ADV: STG PARTNERS, LLC ( CRD # 291048/SEC#:801-112130 ). Investment Advisor Public Discourse.
STG Partners and Symphony are two different firms, yet maintain an inter-company agreement.Symphony Technology Group (March 29, 2024). Investment Adviser Firm Summary. FORM ADV: SYMPHONY TECHNOLOGY GROUP, LLC (CRD # 160676). see “The values shown in Items 5.A and 5.B include employees of STG Partners, LLC (CRD number 291048) that provide services to the registrant (Symphony) pursuant to an intercompany agreement.” Investment Advisor Public Discourse. In December 2017, Chisholm was named managing partner and chief investment officer (CIO) of STG Partners. As a managing partner, Chisholm, individually, acquired a "less than 5%" ownership in STG Partners.STG Partners, LLC (March 28, 2025). FORM ADV: Uniform Application for Investment Adviser Registration and Report By Exempt Reporting Advisers. STG PARTNERS, LLC. FINRA CRD # 291048. SEC file number: 801-112130. Form submitted 3/28/2025 7:10:35 PM. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In 2021, he acquired a beneficial ownership, "50% but less than 75%", in STG Management Feeder, L.P.,STG Partners, LLC (March 29, 2024). Investment Adviser Firm Summary. FORM ADV: STG PARTNERS, LLC ( CRD # 291048/SEC#:801-112130 ). Investment Advisor Public Discourse. which owns "greater than 75%" of STG Management Holdings, which is the controlling entity of STG Partners. On March 28, 2025, STG Partners reported that it represented 19 clients in pooled investment vehicles totaling approximately $12 billion in assets under management, including SurveyMonkey and Onclusive, a slight increase from 2024.AUM13F (March 29, 2024). STG Partners, LLC. CRD: 291048. SEC: 801-112130. AUM $11.7 BB. In addition, the SEC document noted that STG Partners maintains "less than one billion dollars" in total assets. As well, Chisholm and his living trust own less than 15% of Symphony, which has assets under management of approximately $341 million.
In March 2025, Chisholm led an investment group, including current Boston Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck, Bruce A. Beal, Jr., Rob Hale, Sixth Street Partners, and others,Boston Basketball Partners (March 20, 2025). Boston Basketball Partners Announces Sale of Boston Celtics to Group Organized by William Chisholm for $6.1 Billion. to enter into a definitive agreement to purchase the Celtics for an initial valuation of $6.1 billion from Boston Basketball Partners. In 2024, the Celtics' annual revenue was $493 million.Novy-Williams, Eben, and Scott Soshnick (March 12, 2025). Celtics Bidders: Friedkin, Middleman, Chisholm, Pagliuca. Sportico: The Business of Sports. The proposed Celtics purchase price is the largest amount ever for a North American sports franchise.
The NBA league office must first review the agreement.Felt, Hunter (March 27, 2025). Why The Boston Celtics Sale May Have Hit Its First Hurdle. Forbes.Booth, Tim (March 27, 2025). What NBA said about Sonics’ possible return at Board of Governors meeting. see Adam Silver, “I would say in terms of looking at this year, we’re still in the process of digesting the Celtics transaction. There’s no question a major transaction like that becomes relevant to expansion. So that deal has just been presented to us, so we’re analyzing it and my sense is that once we’ve been through that process that we’ll turn to it in a more serious way.” The Spokesman-Review. After its review, Chisholm's proposal will be submitted to the NBA's Board of Governors for approval. The agreement calls for Chisholm and his investors to acquire at least 51% of the team. The remaining 49%, currently held by Grousbeck and his investors, some of whom are also part of Chisholm's group, would maintain the option to hold the remaining shares until 2028, where they may be sold for a higher valuation.KIRO 7 News Staff (March 21, 2025). Kraken owner responds to Celtics sale: ‘Our ownership group is ideally positioned for an NBA team’.Reynolds, Tim, and Jimmy Golen (March 20, 2025). NBA champ Celtics sold for record $6.1 billion to group led by private equity mogul Bill Chisholm. Associated Press. Goldman Sachs, Jordan Park Group, JP Morgan, Mary Callahan Erdoes, and BDT & MSD Partners, whose co-CEO is Gregg Lemkau, Chisholm's Dartmouth classmate and soccer teammate, assisted in financing the Celtics deal.
In May 2025, Indian business heir and the CEO of ArcelorMittal, Aditya Mittal invested $1 billion into Chisholm’s purchase of the Celtics, giving the former a significant stake in the team.
NBA investment rules dictate that a lead owner or "control person" must raise cash, not debt, and must possess at least a 15% financial interest in the team.Young, Dennis, and Margaret Fleming (March 21, 2025). Who Is Celtics Buyer Bill Chisholm? The private equity executive was a little-known figure before agreeing to buy an NBA team this week. Front Office Sports. In addition, according to the league's private equity ownership rules, Chisholm's ownership percentage must be greater than a private equity fund, such as Sixth Street Partners.Rivera, Gio (March 27, 2025). NBA Rumors: Celtics Might Have Issue To Address Before Sale Approval. New England Sports Network. As the control person, Chisholm must purchase more than a $1 billion stake in the Celtics; approximately $500 million is due when the deal closes, and the remainder balance within three years of the purchase date.
It is not clear how much money Chisholm has or has to invest in the proposed $6.1 billion Celtics purchase.Leung, Russell, and Jason Pramuk; with Michael Ozanian, Leslie Picker and Scott Wapner (March 20, 2025). Boston Celtics sold for $6.1 billion to group led by private equity executive Bill Chisholm. CNBC. Although a Forbes article calculates his current net worth as greater than $1 billion,Dolan, Kerry A. (March 2025). The Little Known Billionaire Buying The Boston Celtics. Forbes. he is not included on either the Bloomberg Billionaires Index or Forbes Billionaires list.O'Connell, Robert (March 2025). He Just Bought the Boston Celtics — and No One Knows Anything About Him. Wall Street Journal.
Personal life