Jeff Bezos-led consortium set to acquire £1.35bn stake in Liverpool
Liverpool are on the brink of welcoming one of the world’s richest men into their ownership structure, with Jeff Bezos part of a heavyweight consortium set to buy a 30 per cent stake in the club from Fenway Sports Group (FSG).
The group of investors, fronted by Amit Bhatia – son-in-law of Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal – is poised to pay around £1.35 billion (€1.58 billion) for just under a third of the Premier League side. Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin is also among the backers in a deal that has been thrashed out over months of negotiations.
The agreement is effectively in place, with only the final formalities and regulatory processes to clear. Completion could still take up to a month, but the direction of travel is clear: one of English football’s most storied clubs is about to be tied to one of global business’s most powerful figures.
Bezos steps into football
For Bezos, whose personal fortune Forbes estimates at around $257 billion (€223 billion), this marks a first direct move into football ownership. The 62-year-old has previously explored bids for NFL franchises in the United States, yet Anfield will be his first foothold inside the game itself.
He is expected to receive equity as part of the Liverpool transaction, which Deloitte is understood to have advised on. Saverin, reportedly worth $32 billion (€28 billion), adds further financial muscle to a consortium that instantly changes the scale of Liverpool’s off-field backing.
Bezos no longer runs Amazon’s day-to-day operations, having stepped down as chief executive five years ago to become executive chair. Under his leadership, Amazon spent the past decade turning itself from an online retailer into a major entertainment and sports broadcaster. That strategy has already brought the company into football’s orbit.
Amazon previously held live UK rights for 20 Premier League matches per season for six seasons, a package that ended last year. It also broadcasts the Champions League in several European territories and carries NFL coverage in the US. Now, Bezos is moving from buying rights to buying a stake in one of the competition’s biggest clubs.
FSG’s next chapter
FSG, who took control of Liverpool in 2010, have presided over an era that has delivered major silverware, including two Premier League titles. Their model has mixed on-pitch success with strict financial discipline, often in contrast to the state-backed wealth behind some of Liverpool’s domestic rivals.
This will not be FSG’s first dilution of their shareholding. In 2023 they sold a 3 per cent stake in the club to US private equity firm Dynasty Equity. A 30 per cent sale, though, is a different level of partnership, hinting at a more expansive financial framework around the club’s future.
It comes at a time of upheaval on Merseyside. Andoni Iraola has arrived as head coach, replacing Arne Slot. Mohamed Salah, a defining figure of the FSG era, has left on a free transfer and joined Trabzonspor, while Michael Edwards has departed his role as chief executive officer at FSG.
Change is everywhere at Anfield: in the dugout, on the pitch, and now in the boardroom.
FSG has been approached for comment.
