LIVERPOOL — A consortium including Jeff Bezos is in advanced talks to acquire a minority stake of approximately 30% to one-third in Liverpool Football Club. Reports indicate the deal could be announced as early as this week.
The investor consortium is led by Amit Bhatia, who serves as a founder and managing director of AyBe Capital Advisers. Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin is also a member of the group pursuing the investment. The transaction is reported to value Liverpool Football Club at approximately £4.4 billion ($5.9 billion) to $6 billion.
Fenway Sports Group will remain the controlling shareholder of Liverpool Football Club under the proposed arrangement. This structure ensures the current ownership retains decision-making authority despite the significant capital injection from the new partners. Fenway Sports Group confirmed last month that the consortium led by Amit Bhatia expressed interest in making a strategic minority investment in the club.
"An investment consortium led, managed, and represented by Amit Bhatia has expressed interest in making a strategic minority investment in Liverpool Football Club," a Fenway Sports Group spokesman said in an official statement. The confirmation followed months of discussions between the parties regarding the potential stake sale.
Eduardo Saverin is expected to contribute approximately £1.35 billion ($1.8 billion) to the deal. Saverin is a Brazilian entrepreneur and investor with an estimated net worth between $30 billion and $33 billion according to Forbes. His participation marks a continued interest in major football assets, as he was part of a consortium that attempted to buy Chelsea Football Club in 2022.
This would be Jeff Bezos's first investment in football. Bezos has an estimated net worth of more than $256 billion according to Forbes. He previously explored bids for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders but did not pursue either deal. Bezos also owns The Washington Post, which he acquired in 2013 for $250 million.
Amit Bhatia brings prior experience in English football governance to the consortium. He served as a director and co-owner of Queens Park Rangers for 18 seasons before stepping down in 2023 to focus on the Liverpool stake deal. Bhatia is the son-in-law of steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal and holds leadership roles in several other enterprises. He is the chairman of Breedon Group, an independent construction material supplier in the UK, and a founding partner of Summix Capital, a real estate private equity firm.
Deloitte advised on the deal as the parties moved toward a final agreement. The potential valuation represents a substantial increase from the price Fenway Sports Group paid to acquire Liverpool Football Club in 2010 for £300 million ($405 million). The ownership group also sold a minority stake in Liverpool to US private equity firm Dynasty Equity in 2023, establishing a precedent for partial external investment while retaining control.
Liverpool won the Premier League title in the 2024-2025 season under the management of Arne Slot. Andoni Iraola is the current manager of Liverpool Football Club. The club was established in 1892 and competes in the top tier of English football.
The proposed transaction values Liverpool Football Club at up to $6 billion, a figure that reflects a 1366.7% rise from the £300 million acquisition price in 2010. This valuation places the club among the most valuable sports franchises globally and signals strong investor confidence in the Premier League's commercial prospects. The involvement of high-profile billionaires such as Bezos and Saverin reflects the growing intersection of technology wealth and traditional sports ownership.
Fenway Sports Group's decision to retain controlling interest allows the current ownership to maintain its strategic direction while accessing new capital resources. The consortium's interest in a minority stake rather than a full takeover aligns with recent trends in sports finance, where existing owners seek liquidity without relinquishing operational control. The announcement of the deal could finalize months of negotiations and set a new benchmark for valuations in English football.
Why It Matters
This transaction would mark Jeff Bezos's first investment in football, following his previous exploration of NFL team bids. The deal continues a pattern of partial external investments at the club, building on the 2023 minority stake sold to Dynasty Equity. By retaining controlling interest, Fenway Sports Group maintains decision-making authority while accessing significant capital from high-net-worth investors. The reported valuation of up to $6 billion represents a substantial increase from the £300 million acquisition price in 2010.
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