Billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has held talks about joining a bid for a 30% stake in Liverpool FC, one of the most successful soccer clubs in England, according to a report.
The consortium Bezos is looking at is led by Amit Bhatia, the former co-owner of Queens Park Rangers, and has already made a provisional offer of 1.35 billion pounds, or roughly $1.8 billion, to buy a stake from Fenway Sports Group, the Guardian reported.
The deal would value the club at an estimated $6 billion, according to the report – more than the roughly $1.65 billion Sir Jim Ratcliffe paid to buy a nearly 30% stake in Manchester United two years ago.
The Bhatia-led group is talking to other potential investors as it seeks more funding for the deal, the Guardian reported.
A spokesperson for FSG confirmed that an investment consortium led by Bhatia has expressed interest in a strategic minority investment in Liverpool FC, though the group did not comment on whether Bezos is involved.
Amazon did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
It would not be the first time the world’s fourth-richest person looked for ways to break into sports team ownership. He previously explored bids for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders without completing a deal.
The Liverpool talks mark the first time Bezos, 62 – who’s worth $252.6 billion, according to Forbes – showed interest in taking a stake in the Premier League, known for its massive viewership, wealth and passionate English fanbase.
Members of a new generation of wealth – those who made their riches before getting involved in sports franchises – have been buying up stakes in multi-billion dollar teams.
Billionaire Frenchman Bernard Arnault, 77, and his family, who own luxury firm LVMH, bought a majority stake in Paris FC in a deal valuing the soccer club at an estimated $100 million.
Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer bought the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers for $2 billion in 2014 while Walmart heir Rob Walton paid a whopping $4.65 billion for the Denver Broncos in 2022.
More recently, tech billionaire Vinod Khosla and his family have reportedly reached a deal to buy the Seattle Seahawks for $9.6 billion – one of the largest valuations ever for a sports team.
As the consortium across the pond searches for fresh investments, Bhatia has allegedly secured his financial backing from his father-in-law, Lakshmi Mittal – an Indian steel-and-mining magnate worth more than $30 billion, according to the Guardian.
On Tuesday, Bhatia stepped down as the director and co-owner of Queens Park Rangers, transferring his shares to fellow owner Ruben Gnanalingam to prepare for his consortium’s Liverpool bid, the report said.
Fenway Sports Group sold 3% of Liverpool to private-equity firm Dynasty Equity in 2023.
Bezos currently serves as the executive chair of Amazon after stepping down from the CEO role five years ago.
In recent years, Amazon has ramped up its purchase of sports rights for its streaming service, Amazon Prime.
It owned live UK rights to 20 Premier League games each season for six seasons until the end of last year. It also airs the Champions League across Europe and NFL games in the US.
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