Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos Nears Deal To Buy Stake In Liverpool FC

A group of investors that includes Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has moved closer to a deal to acquire about 30% of Liverpool Football Club.

The consortium is led by British-Indian businessman Amit Bhatia and also includes Eduardo Saverin, one of the co-founders of Facebook.

Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), confirmed last month that the investors had “expressed interest in making a strategic minority investment.”

Bhatia, who is the son-in-law of Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, previously held a stake in Queens Park Rangers and served as a director and co-owner of the Championship club for 18 years. He gave up his interest in the club last month.

An announcement on the potential deal could be made within the next few days, although one source said it might be pushed into next week.

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If the agreement goes through, Liverpool could have three of the world’s wealthiest investors among its ownership group.

Jeff Bezos is estimated by Forbes to have a fortune of more than $280 billion, while Saverin’s wealth is reported to be above $32 billion.

The proposed investment could value Liverpool at around $6 billion, which would make it one of the biggest financial deals in football history.

The development comes at a time when the global football business is facing fresh questions over how the sport’s commercial rights are controlled.

These concerns have increased following FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s reported plans involving the sale of part of the commercial rights to major competitions, including the men’s World Cup.

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At the same time, major investors continue to put huge amounts of money into top sports teams, particularly football clubs and major American sports franchises.

Bezos has not previously been strongly associated with football investments.

His possible involvement in the Liverpool deal, however, highlights the growing interest of billionaires in sports as a major investment opportunity.

Saverin, 44, has also shown interest in football ownership. He was part of a group that unsuccessfully tried to buy Chelsea in 2022 after the club was put up for sale following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Another source said the Liverpool investment could be larger than initially reported, with the consortium potentially acquiring more than 30% of the club.

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Liverpool won the Premier League title in the 2024-25 season but has since entered a period of change following Arne Slot’s departure and the exit of long-serving forward Mohamed Salah.

A $6 billion valuation would nevertheless represent a major increase in the value of Liverpool since Fenway Sports Group took ownership.

FSG bought the club for about £300 million in 2010 when Liverpool was facing serious financial difficulties.

The arrival of a consortium featuring some of the world’s richest businessmen could also lead to speculation that the investors may eventually seek full control of the club.

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FSG has generally received praise from Liverpool supporters for its management of the club.

However, the team’s fifth-place finish last season and the decision to part ways with Slot in May have caused some concern among sections of the fan base.

The American sports investment group has also previously sold a minority stake in the Premier League club to sports investment firm Dynasty Equity.

FSG was approached for a response to the latest development but declined to provide any further comment.

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