{
  "id": 2513429,
  "title": "Wealth Club: Billionaires' big risks buying soccer clubs",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/wealth-club-billionaires-big-risks-buying-soccer-clubs",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-22T06:00:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "RTE News",
    "slug": "rte-news",
    "url": "https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2026/0822/1588817-soccer-owners-bezos/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Billionaire Jeff Bezos has acquired a stake in Liverpool FC through a consortium called 1892 Holdings, which purchased a share from the club's current owner, Fenway Sports Group. The initial reports suggested a 30% stake, but later it was revealed to be closer to a 38% shareholding. The members of 1892 Holdings include Amit Bhatia, who is the son-in-law of Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal and a co-owner of Queens Park Rangers, Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, and Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos. Bhatia will become the vice-chair of the club's board, while the consortium will also have several seats on the board.\n\nThe billionaires' interest in soccer clubs is not surprising, given the considerable revenue they generate. For instance, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester City, PSG, and Bayern Munich all earned over $90 million in revenue last year. However, investing in a soccer club comes with high risks. Many successful businesspeople have had their reputations tarnished by their time in a club's board, and some have not seen the financial gains they anticipated.\n\nThe Glazers, for example, invested heavily in Manchester United but left the club with heavy debt. Mike Ashley, who took control of Newcastle United in 2007, was initially well-received by fans but faced criticism for his management style. These examples demonstrate that billionaire ownership of soccer clubs can lead to high returns, but it can also result in public backlash and financial struggles.",
  "summary": "Jeff Bezos joins a long line of billionaires to buy into an English soccer club, but being a member of this elite comes with significant financial and reputational risk, writes Adam Maguire.",
  "key_points": [
    "Jeff Bezos leads 1892 Holdings consortium buying 38% stake in Liverpool FC",
    "Consortium includes Amit Bhatia, Eduardo Saverin, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos",
    "Billionaire ownership of soccer clubs carries high risks and potential backlash"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The influx of billionaires like Bezos into soccer club ownership reflects both the considerable revenue potential and the high risks of such investments, which can bring financial and reputational consequences.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "RTE News",
        "title": "Wealth Club: Billionaires' big risks buying soccer clubs",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/wealth-club-billionaires-big-risks-buying-soccer-clubs-2526469",
        "published": "2026-08-22T06:00:01.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}