Jeff Bezos Part of Consortium in Talks for Minority Stake in Liverpool

It's news enough when one of the richest men on the planet sets his sights on Liverpool. But when that name turns out to be Jeff Bezos, the noise multiplies. The Amazon founder is part of a consortium that is closing in on buying a significant minority stake in the Anfield club, and supporters have already started to react.

The organized fan group Spirit of Shankly (SOS) wrote to the club to make clear that ownership and control of Liverpool are "fundamental" to everyone who pulls on the shirt every weekend. It's no small matter for them: the memory of how Fenway Sports Group (FSG) arrived at the club in 2010, following the forced exit of Tom Hicks and George Gillett, still weighs on any conversation about new owners.

Bezos, with an estimated fortune of 210 billion pounds ($283 billion), has more than enough money to buy Liverpool outright without blinking. However, he isn't going it alone: the consortium is led by Amit Bhatia, son in law of steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, and also includes Eduardo Saverin, co-founder of Facebook. Interestingly, Bhatia is the only one of the three with real experience running a club, having stepped down from his role as co-owner and chairman of Queens Park Rangers last month after 18 years in the position.

Bezos, for his part, has never invested in a sports team, though his name had previously come up in connection with the NFL's Washington Commanders and, further back, the Seattle Seahawks. He also owns The Washington Post and the aerospace company Blue Origin, so soccer would be, if the deal goes through, entirely new territory for him.

Fans' concerns

SOS didn't stop at the statement and requested a formal meeting with the club to get an explanation of what this deal would mean in practice.

We reiterate that, given the events that led to the club's purchase by FSG, who owns it and how they control it, putting the interests of LFC and its supporters first, is fundamental to all of usSpirit of Shankly

The group also warned that it has seen at other clubs how similar stake sales ended up bringing "notable changes" to management and football operations, something many Liverpool fans would rather not see repeated at their club.

FSG has never shut the door on outside investment, especially after watching the club's value skyrocket: from the 300 million pounds it paid in 2010 to the roughly 4.5 billion pounds it's estimated to be worth today. Back in 2023, Dynasty Equity bought around 3% of the shares for about 120 million pounds. Club CEO Billy Hogan summed it up this way in a recent interview with The Athletic.

John Henry has been very clear about the fact that if there were ever an investment opportunity that would help the club, they would seriously consider it. In this case, a consortium led, managed and represented by Amit Bhatia has come forward to make a minority investment in the club. That's itBilly Hogan

For now, neither FSG nor Bhatia's consortium have offered further public details beyond the initial statement acknowledging interest in a "strategic minority investment." SOS is still waiting for an answer on something very specific: what role these new investors will have on the board and how much weight they will carry in the club's decisions, both on and off the field.