A group of investors including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is reportedly close to buying a 30% stake in Liverpool after several months of talks with Fenway Sports Group (FSG). The group is led by Amit Bhatia, the son-in-law of Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, who previously worked as a shareholder and director at Queens Park Rangers.
Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin is also part of the investment group, which is expected to pay around £1.35 billion for the stake. An agreement is believed to be almost complete, although the full process could take up to a month to finish.
According to Forbes, Bezos has a personal fortune of around $257 billion (£190 billion), making him the fourth-richest person in the world. Saverin, meanwhile, is reportedly worth around $32 billion. This would be Bezos’s first investment in football, although he has previously considered buying an NFL franchise. The 62-year-old is expected to receive equity in Liverpool as part of the deal, which has been advised by Deloitte.
Bezos is currently the executive chairman of Amazon after stepping away from his role as chief executive five years ago. During his time leading the company, Amazon expanded beyond online shopping and became a major entertainment provider, buying several sports broadcasting rights for its streaming services.
Amazon previously held UK broadcasting rights for 20 Premier League matches per season for six seasons until the end of last year. The company also shows Champions League matches in several European countries and broadcasts some NFL games in the United States.
FSG bought Liverpool in 2010 and have since helped oversee two Premier League title victories. In 2023, the group sold a 3% stake in Liverpool to US private equity company Dynasty Equity.
It has already been a summer of major changes at Anfield. Andoni Iraola replaced Arne Slot as Liverpool’s head coach, while Mohamed Salah left the club on a free transfer to join Trabzonspor. Michael Edwards has also stepped down from his position as chief executive officer at FSG.
