Liverpool’s owners Fenway Sports Group are set to announce they have sold a stake in Liverpool Football Club to a consortium including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
The world’s third richest person is part of the group fronted by former QPR co-owner Amit Bhatia. Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin is also part of the syndicate.
According to Sky News, the consortium is closing in on a deal to buy a roughly one-third stake in the club.
We take a look at some of the key questions surrounding what the deal could look like…
Who are Bezos and Bhatia?
Bezos is one of the most famous businessmen in the world and the owner of e-commerce giant Amazon, which he founded in 1994 out of his Seattle garage.
His other investments include aerospace company Blue Origin and venture capital firm Nash Holdings, which is the ownership vehicle for The Washington Post.
Bhatia is a 46-year-old British Indian entrepreneur, who has an investment banking background.
Amit Bhatia is the former co-owner of Queen’s Park Rangers
He currently manages a multi-asset investment firm called AyBe Capital which invests in range of diversified sectors including technology, media, property and real estate, consumer retail, and health.
Bhatia is married to Vanisha Mittal Bhatia, who is the daughter of Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal.
What are they worth?
Forbes estimates that Bezos’ personal fortune is in the region of $281bn (£209bn), making him the third-richest person in the world behind Elon Musk and Google co-founder Larry Page.
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Sky News’ Mark Kleinman discusses Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ potential involvement in a consortium – led by former QPR co-owner Amit Bhatia – that is trying to buy a stake in Liverpool
It’s unclear how much Bhatia himself is worth. But his father-in-law, billionaire steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, is worth an estimated £23.2bn according to Forbes. That makes him the 72nd richest person in the world.
What are their sporting interests?
Bezos is a big American Football fan and has previously been reported to have explored bids for both the Washington Commanders and the Seattle Seahawks.
He is not known to hold a significant stake in any sports team or enterprise currently.
Amazon co-founder Jeff Bezos is known to be a big American Football fan
Bhatia was just 28 when he joined the board of directors and became vice-chairman of QPR in 2007 after the Mittal family bought a 20 per cent stake in QPR, joining Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore as investors in the London club.
He spent five years as QPR chairman between 2018 and 2023 and stayed on as a director and co-owner until earlier this week when he transferred his stake in the club to majority owner Ruben Gnanalingam.
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Amit Bhatia is leading a consortium in an attempt to purchase a minority stake in Liverpool – we take a closer look at the former QPR co-owner
Through AyBe capital, Bhatia is an investor in TGL – Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods’ golf league which fuses golf and technology and features six teams with some of the best players in the world in a season-long competition.
His firm also invests in Switch Hitter, which is a media brand founded by Kevin Pietersen, delivering exclusive interviews and content with the world’s top cricketers.
Rajasthan Royals were one of the most sought-after IPL cricket franchises
Earlier this year, Bhatia’s father-in-law acquired a 75 per cent stake in the Rajasthan Royals Indian Premier League cricket franchise.
Why would FSG want to sell?
FSG are under no pressure to sell but did indicate in 2022 that they were open to new investment in Liverpool, with the sale of a small stake to Dynasty Equity completed the following year.
Liverpool have enjoyed huge success under FSG, lifting every major trophy available to win.
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Football finance expert Kieran Maguire explains what a ‘strategic minority stake’ is and if a potential deal could signal the end of Fenway Sports Group as Liverpool owners
FSG may think it’s mission accomplished somewhat as far they’re concerned, and therefore be amenable to fresh investment. They also stand to make a huge profit on their initial investment – even if they sell a percentage stake in the club.
How much do the consortium want to buy?
According to Sky News, the consortium is closing in on a deal to buy a roughly one-third stake in the club.
What will the club be valued at?
Liverpool are currently the fourth most valuable club in the world. The consortium’s investment in Liverpool will reportedly value the club at £4.4bn ($6bn), making it one of the sport’s richest-ever deals.
Who owns Liverpool?
FSG have complete control of Liverpool, but private equity firms RedBird Capital and Arctos Sports Partners both hold minority stakes in the club. Dynasty Equity are also passive investors in Liverpool after injecting £164m into the club in 2023 in a deal valuing Liverpool at more than $4.5bn.
The Anfield home of Liverpool Football Club
How much did FSG pay for Liverpool?
FSG were known as New England Sports Ventures when they paid £300m for Liverpool in October 2010 after a tumultuous period under former owners Tom Hicks and George Gillette.
When could the deal go ahead?
There is no clear timeframe as it stands, but the deal – which was first reported on at the end of last month – appears to have accelerated quickly. An announcement about a transaction could now come as soon as this week, but could spill over into next week.
Who else is involved?
Facebook co-founder Saverin is also part of the syndicate of investors. Saverin, 44, was part of a consortium which assembled an unsuccessful takeover bid for Chelsea during the 2022 auction triggered by Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The identity of any of the other potential investors is unknown at this stage.
