Bezos consortium buys nearly 40% stake in Liverpool

LONDON: A consortium led by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has acquired nearly 40% of Premier League football club Liverpool, as reported by the Athletic on Tuesday. Initially, it was believed that 1892 Holdings had purchased a third of the club from its owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), but the actual figure turned out to be closer to 38%, according to the Athletic.

Bezos, with an estimated net worth of US$256 billion, is the fourth-richest person globally. This marks his first investment in a sports team, following interest in purchasing NFL franchises, the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders. Amit Bhatia, a British-Indian millionaire and son-in-law of Lakshmi Mittal, is the primary figure behind the consortium, which also includes Bezos and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin.

FSG, which bought Liverpool for £300 million in 2010 and later sold a 3% minority stake to Dynasty Equity, facilitated the deal with 1892 Holdings, committing to potentially acquire a controlling stake within the next 12 months. Liverpool, currently aiming to rebound from a fifth-place finish in the Premier League last season, is set to begin their new campaign against Newcastle on Sunday.

The club has already invested around £94 million in players Jeremy Jacquet and Victor Munoz since the end of the previous season.