Jeff Bezos Joins Liverpool: FSG Nears £1.35bn Deal

Liverpool are on the brink of welcoming one of the world’s richest men into Anfield’s boardroom, with Jeff Bezos part of a heavyweight consortium poised to buy a 30 per cent stake in the club from Fenway Sports Group (FSG).

After months of negotiations, a group of investors led by Amit Bhatia – son-in-law of Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal – is close to finalising an agreement worth around £1.35 billion (€1.58 billion) for just under a third of the Premier League side. The deal is effectively in place and is expected to take up to a month to formally complete.

Bhatia, who previously held a stake in Queens Park Rangers, fronts a blue-chip cast. Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin is part of the consortium, while Bezos, the executive chair and founder of Amazon, will receive equity as part of the transaction. Deloitte is understood to be advising on the deal.

The numbers involved underline the scale of Liverpool’s global pull. Forbes estimates Bezos’ personal fortune at around $257 billion (€223 billion), placing him as the fourth-richest person on the planet. Saverin’s net worth is reported at $32 billion (€28 billion). For Bezos, this marks a first move into football ownership, although he has previously explored bids for NFL franchises in the United States.

His arrival would deepen Amazon’s already significant ties to elite sport. Under Bezos’ leadership, the company aggressively expanded from retail into entertainment and live rights, turning Amazon Prime into a major player in the broadcast market. The tech giant held live UK rights to 20 Premier League matches per season for six seasons until the end of last year, and currently shows the Champions League in several European territories as well as NFL coverage in the US.

For FSG, this is the latest step in a long-term strategy of bringing in outside capital while retaining control. The Boston-based group bought Liverpool in 2010 and has presided over a modern resurgence that includes two Premier League titles. In 2023, it sold a three per cent stake to US private equity firm Dynasty Equity, a relatively modest move compared with the seismic injection now on the table.

The timing is striking. Anfield has already lived through a summer of upheaval. Andoni Iraola has taken over as head coach from Arne Slot, tasked with reshaping a squad that has lost one of its defining figures: Mohamed Salah, who left on a free transfer and has since joined Trabzonspor. Off the pitch, Michael Edwards has stepped down from his role as chief executive officer at FSG, another significant change in the club’s leadership structure.

All of that now sits against the prospect of a new era of financial muscle and global reach, backed by some of the deepest pockets in world business. FSG has been approached for comment, but for Liverpool supporters the more pressing question is simple: how will this influx of billionaire capital reshape the club’s future on and off the pitch?