Bezos consortium bought almost 40% of Liverpool

A consortium led by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has acquired nearly 40% of Liverpool Football Club from Fenway Sports Group (FSG). The initial reports suggested that Fenway had sold about a third of the club to 1892 Holdings, but The Athletic's reporting has clarified that the actual stake is closer to 38%. The deal also includes an option for the consortium to potentially secure a controlling stake within the next year, although this doesn't require an immediate commitment.

FSG announced on Friday that it had entered into a definitive agreement for the sale of a strategic minority investment to the consortium. The group, named after Liverpool's founding year, is led by British-Indian businessman Amit Bhatia alongside Bezos and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin. Bhatia, who will become Liverpool's vice-chairman, will join the expanded board once regulatory approval is granted.

The son-in-law of Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, Bhatia has previously served as a director and co-owner of Queens Park Rangers for 18 years before selling his stake last month. The consortium's valuation of Liverpool is estimated between £5bn and £6bn.