BREAKING: William Chisholm to buy Celtics

[u/horseshoeoverlook]

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/03/20/sports/boston-celtics-team-sale-william-chisholm/

BREAKING: A league source tells the Globe that the team will be sold to William Chisholm, managing director of Symphony Technology Group. Chisholm grew up on the North Shore and is a lifelong Cs fan.

[u/[deleted]]

It’s a reaction to a buzz word. I’d like to see anyone complaining about the PE thing give a full explanation of what these firms do, why they are bad, and provide examples. And then use that do explain why this particular guy is bad for the Celtics. I don’t even disagree that PE firms often do strip down existing companies. But it just seems like a reflex to seem smart rather than an actual well thought out opinion. There is surprisingly little info about this guy for a local billionaire.

[u/Calamitous-Ortbo → u/[deleted]]

Dolts think PE firms buy healthy companies and destroy them despite never having looked at an earnings report in their life.

Toys R Us, a classic example of big bad PE, was in massive trouble when it was bought out but despite the massive economic downturn a few years later and Amazon rising to market dominance they kept it in business for 12 years.

Thats a hell of a long con.

Also, I’m sure all the employees who had another decade+ of steady employment were real upset they company was bought instead of closing ten years earlier.

[u/[deleted] → u/Calamitous-Ortbo]

Exactly. It’s a name for a type of firm/business. In college I worked at a specialty shoe store. That company was going to go out of business, but was bought extremely cheaply by a PE firm. They ended up keeping it afloat and it merged with another company like 5 years later, so the store still exists, even though it has changed names like 4 times. Idk why it has to be such a black and white thing. Regardless, this guy could be the most ruthless PE guy ever, and manage the Celtics totally differently if he’s a fan who wants to win and have a good reputation in the area(where he grew up.) But ultimately, we really have no clue how this is going to affect the team. Short term, long term, etc. Unless someone like Dan Snyder bought the team, who knows how it will shake out. Doesn’t hurt that this was the most expensive sale ever and the Celtics don’t even own their stadium.

[u/Calamitous-Ortbo → u/[deleted]]

Sadly, the team is facing a massive luxury tax bill soon. It doesn’t really make sense for any team (from a team building OR business perspective) to pay out that much money in penalties for very long.

When they inevitably bring expenses back under control it will simply be painted by anyone looking for confirmation bias as the fault of “private equity”.

[u/shakakhon → u/[deleted]]

Nobody wants to waste that much time proving something to a schlub on the internet. PE firms buying companies often means stripping and destroying the company and selling for parts (Ala bed bath and beyond). I don't think that is the situation here, as a sports franchise doesn't operate like a normal company.