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A consortium including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has purchased close to 40 percent of Premier League club Liverpool, the Athletic reported Tuesday, marking Bezos's first foray into sports team ownership.
Initial reports indicated that 1892 Holdings had acquired a third of the club from Fenway Sports Group, the American ownership group behind the 20-time English champions. The Athletic later reported that the actual stake was closer to 38 percent. The consortium also holds an option, though not a formal commitment, to acquire a controlling stake in Liverpool within the next 12 months.
FSG confirmed Friday that it had reached the deal with 1892 Holdings, a group led by British-Indian businessman Amit Bhatia and also including Bezos and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin. Bezos, the world's fourth-richest person with an estimated net worth of $256 billion, had previously been linked to potential purchases of NFL franchises the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Commanders, but had not before invested in a sports team.
Bhatia, son-in-law of Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, spent 18 years as co-owner of Championship club QPR before stepping away once his involvement with the Liverpool deal became public.
FSG purchased Liverpool for £300 million ($406 million) in 2010. The group sold a minority stake of around three percent to global sports investment firm Dynasty Equity three years ago.
The investment news comes as Liverpool prepare to open their Premier League campaign at Newcastle on Sunday, seeking to bounce back from a fifth-place finish last season, a result that fell short of expectations. That disappointing campaign led to the sacking of manager Arne Slot just 12 months after he guided the club to a Premier League title in his first season in charge, succeeding Jurgen Klopp.
With several weeks remaining before the transfer window closes, the new investment could bolster manager Andoni Iraola's efforts to reinforce his squad ahead of the new season. Liverpool have already spent around £94 million this summer on the signings of Jeremy Jacquet and Victor Munoz.
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