20-03-2025
What we know about William Chisholm, the Celtics' new owner
With senior day approaching this weekend, we throw it back to 1990 with this picture that includes alumni Bill Chisholm, Richie Graham and Gregg Lemkau.
This team won the 1990 Ivy League Championship and advanced past the first round of the NCAA tournament.
— Dartmouth Men's Soccer (@DartmouthMSoc)
According to the Globe's Adam Himmelsbach, Chisholm is a lifelong Celtics fan with an 'encyclopedic knowledge' of the team. Though STG is based on Menlo Park, Calif., Chisholm owns a home on Nantucket and intends to buy a home in Boston.
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Chisholm's early business career was centered around early-stage technology investing as well as investment banking before moving into private equity.
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Before co-founding STG, Chisholm was a co-founder of the Valent Group, a venture capital and risk consulting firm. He also spent time with Boston-based Bain & Company, one of the 'Big Three' management consulting companies.
STG manages over $10 billion in total assets. In 2023, STG closed on its seventh (and largest) fund, raising $4.2 billion.
Chisholm also sits on the board of a number of companies, including Dodge Data, Cadmium, CAI software, and others.
Chisholm's group would be the 15th to own the Celtics. Here's a rundown of each of the franchise's owners.
Boston Garden-Arena Corporation (1946-1950):
Walter Brown succeeded his father as manager of the Boston Garden and took out a mortgage on his home to found the Celtics. Initially, he operated them as a subsidiary of the Boston Garden-Arena Corporation.
Walter Brown and Lou Pieri (1950-1964):
Brown bought the team from his own corporation to put it under his name and brought Pieri, owner of the Providence Steamrollers, on as a minority owner.
Lou Pieri and Marjorie Brown (1964-1965):
Pieri was a minority owner until Brown died and left the majority of shares to Pieri and Brown's widow, Marjorie.
Marvin Kratter/Knickerbocker Brewing Company, subsidiary of National Equities (1965-1968):
Real Estate developer Marvin Kratter bought the franchise for $3 million.
Ballantine Brewery, subsidiary of Investors Funding Corporation (1968-1969, 1971-1972):
The private corporation bought the franchise for $3 million, sold it a year later, and bought it again in 1971.
Trans-National Communications (1969-1971):
Trans-National and company president Woody Erdman purchased the Celtics for $6 million — twice what it sold for a year prior. TNC and Erdman attempted to use profits from the Celtics to cover the losses from the company's bad investments.
Irv Levin and Harold Lipton (1972, 1975-1978):
Levin and Lipton attempted to buy the Celtics for $3.7 million in 1972.
Robert Schmertz/Leisure Technology (1972-1975):
The NBA rejected the 1972 sale, and in May of that year, Levin and Lipton were forced to sell their shares to Robert Schmertz for $3.95 million, with an option for the two to repurchase half of the Celtics' stock.
Irv Levin, Harold Lipton and Robert Schmertz (1974-1975):
After two years, Levin and Lipton exercised their option, and 10 months later, they purchased the remaining stock from Leisure Technology.
John Y. Brown Jr. and Harry T. Mangurian Jr. (1978-1979):
Mangurian orchestrated a franchise swap with Levin, trading ownership of the Buffalo Braves for the Celtics. (Levin, who wanted to own a team in California, promptly moved the Braves to San Diego, where they were rechristened the Clippers.)
Harry T. Mangurian Jr. (1979-1983):
After one year, Mangurian bought Brown out to become the majority owner.
Don Gaston, Alan N. Cohen and Paul Dupee, Jr. (1983-1993):
Mangurian sold the team for $15 million.
Paul Gaston (1993-2002):
Paul Gaston took over ownership from his father.
Boston Basketball Partners, LLC (2002-present):
Grousbeck and the current ownership group bought the Celtics for $360 million.
Amin Touri can be reached at
