Jeff Bezos consortium to buy minority Liverpool stake in £1.5bn deal

A consortium led by Jeff Bezos has agreed to purchase a minority stake in Liverpool Football Club from majority owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) for over £1.5 billion. The investment will be made by 1892 Holdings, a group including Bezos, Eduardo Saverin, and Amit Bhatia. The stake will give the consortium a share of between 30 percent and one-third of the Premier League club.

FSG will continue to have operational control and run day-to-day operations, ensuring no change to the leadership of the club. John W. Henry will remain the principal owner, while Tom Werner will act as chairman and Mike Gordon will serve as president. The club’s strategy and broader principles will remain unchanged.

Bezos, one of the world’s wealthiest individuals with a net worth of approximately $270 billion, will not become a director of Liverpool. However, he will serve as a member of the expanded board, which will include Bryan Baum from K5 Sports, a fund in which Bezos is the lead investor, and Elaine Saverin, wife of Eduardo. Bhatia will become a vice-president of Liverpool.

Bhatia, the son-in-law of Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, impressed FSG not only personally but also professionally. He has been FSG's primary partner in the negotiations. The American group had no financial need to sell but was impressed by 1892 Holdings' caliber of people and their range of experience and expertise.

Liverpool has been owned by FSG since 2010, and the investment now places the club's value at just over $7 billion. The transaction allows for flexibility in the relationship between FSG and 1892, but it is not a predetermined plan towards full ownership.