Jeff Bezos Consortium Nears £1.35bn Liverpool Stake
Liverpool are on the brink of welcoming one of the world’s richest men into their ownership structure, with a consortium involving Amazon founder Jeff Bezos close to sealing a deal for a 30 per cent stake in the club.
The group of investors, led by businessman Amit Bhatia, is set to pay in the region of £1.35 billion (€1.58 billion) for just under a third of the Premier League side, after months of detailed negotiations with Fenway Sports Group (FSG). The agreement is effectively in place, though completion could still take up to a month.
Bezos steps into football
For Bezos, whose personal fortune Forbes estimates at around $257 billion (€223 billion), this marks a first move into football ownership. He has previously explored bids for NFL franchises in the United States, but this would be his debut as an investor in the global game.
The 62-year-old, now executive chair of Amazon after stepping down as chief executive five years ago, will receive equity in Liverpool as part of the deal, which Deloitte is understood to have advised on.
He enters a sport where Amazon has already been steadily tightening its grip as a broadcaster. Under his leadership, the tech giant has pushed aggressively into live sport, using its streaming platform to secure major rights packages. In the UK, Amazon held live rights to 20 Premier League matches per season for six seasons until the end of last year. It also broadcasts the Champions League in several European territories and carries NFL coverage in the US.
Big names, big money
Bhatia, who fronts the consortium, is the son-in-law of Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal and has previous experience in English football from his time as a shareholder at Queens Park Rangers.
He is joined in the investment group by Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, whose wealth is reported to be around $32 billion (€28 billion). The presence of such heavyweight backers underlines the scale of the deal and the enduring commercial pull of Liverpool on the global stage.
FSG reshapes Liverpool again
FSG, who bought Liverpool in 2010, have already overseen a transformative period at Anfield, one that has delivered two Premier League titles and restored the club to the European elite. They have also shown a willingness to dilute their stake to bring in fresh capital, selling 3 per cent of the club to US private equity firm Dynasty Equity in 2023.
Now comes another major recalibration. A 30 per cent sale at this valuation reinforces Liverpool’s status as one of the most valuable clubs in world football, while giving FSG significant funds without surrendering overall control.
It lands in the middle of a summer of upheaval on Merseyside. Andoni Iraola has taken over as head coach, replacing Arne Slot. Mohamed Salah, one of the defining figures of the FSG era, has departed on a free transfer and joined Trabzonspor. Michael Edwards has left his role as chief executive officer at FSG, removing another key architect of the club’s recent success from the picture.
Anfield has grown used to change under FSG, but the arrival of Bezos and his partners would shift the landscape again — not just for Liverpool, but for the Premier League’s balance of financial power.
FSG has been approached for comment.
