Amazon Founder Bezos Nears Stake in Liverpool

A historic shift in Liverpool's ownership structure could be on the horizon. According to Sky Sports, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, one of the world's wealthiest individuals, is closing in on acquiring roughly a 30% stake in Premier League champions Liverpool as part of an investment consortium led by Amit Bhatia. According to the report, Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin is also part of the same consortium.

According to the report, the investor group, led by Amit Bhatia — son-in-law of Indian steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal and until recently a major shareholder at Championship side Queens Park Rangers — has made significant progress in talks with the club's current owner, Fenway Sports Group (FSG). The deal is expected to value Liverpool at roughly £4.4 billion ($6 billion), with the stake now believed to be larger than initially reported, potentially exceeding 30%. An announcement is expected as soon as this week, though it could slip into next week.

With a fortune exceeding £207 billion ($280 billion) according to Forbes, this move represents Bezos' first major foray into sports team ownership; he had previously explored a deal for the Seattle Seahawks. For Saverin, whose wealth is estimated at £23.7 billion ($32 billion) and who was previously part of an unsuccessful consortium bidding to buy Chelsea in 2022, this would mark his first successful venture into sports club ownership. It's worth recalling that FSG purchased Liverpool for just £300 million in 2010, delivering enormous financial returns over its 16 years of ownership.

Source: Sky Sports
Image: Cumhuriyet