Chelsea Co-Owner Boehly Met with Convicted Sex Offender Epstein After Jail Term

Newly released emails show Boehly had two meetings with Epstein in 2011, years after Epstein's first conviction.

Jan. 31, 2026 at 3:47am

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Newly released emails show that Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, arranged two business meetings with Todd Boehly, the co-owner of Premier League club Chelsea and part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Lakers, in 2011 - almost three years after Epstein had been imprisoned in a Florida jail for sex offenses.

Why it matters

The revelations raise questions about Boehly's judgment and connections, as he has become a prominent figure in the world of sports ownership since leading the consortium that acquired Chelsea in a $5 billion deal in 2022. Epstein's ties to powerful individuals have come under intense scrutiny in recent years, and this latest disclosure adds to the ongoing debate about accountability for those who associated with the convicted sex offender.

The details

The emails, released by the Department of Justice on Friday, show that Epstein's assistant Lesley Groff reached out to a mutual contact, David Mitchell, in January 2011 to set up a meeting between Epstein and Boehly, who was then a managing partner at Guggenheim Partners. A second meeting was arranged in September 2011, with Mitchell telling Boehly he wanted to discuss bringing former British politician Peter Mandelson into 'the Irish situation' with Epstein.

  • On January 13, 2011, Epstein's assistant Lesley Groff emailed David Mitchell to request a meeting between Epstein and Boehly.
  • The first meeting between Epstein and Boehly took place on January 17 or 18, 2011.
  • In April 2011, Groff wrote to Epstein saying she had contacted Boehly's assistant to request another call.
  • The second meeting between Epstein and Boehly took place on September 19, 2011 as a conference call.

The players

Jeffrey Epstein

A disgraced financier who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. He had previously served 13 months in a Florida jail after pleading guilty to soliciting prostitution, including from a girl under the age of 18.

Todd Boehly

The co-owner of Premier League club Chelsea and part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Lakers. In 2022, he led a consortium that acquired Chelsea in a $5 billion deal.

David Mitchell

An individual with almost three decades of experience in real estate investment, finance and mergers and acquisitions, who introduced Boehly to Epstein.

Lesley Groff

An assistant to Jeffrey Epstein who arranged the meetings between Epstein and Boehly.

Peter Mandelson

A British politician who was most recently in the news in 2021 when emails revealed he had continued to support Epstein following his 2008 convictions, giving him advice and proposing that Epstein respond by using techniques from Sun Tzu's 'Art of War.'

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What they’re saying

“Sure — in Europe this week.”

— Todd Boehly (The Athletic)

What’s next

The Athletic has asked Boehly's representatives whether he was aware of Epstein's criminal history when they met, and why he agreed to business meetings with the sex offender. Boehly declined to comment on the questions posed.

The takeaway

This case highlights the continued scrutiny over powerful individuals' connections to Jeffrey Epstein, even years after his initial conviction, and the need for greater accountability around such relationships.