Consortium including Jeff Bezos to buy Liverpool stake

A consortium involving Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has agreed to acquire a minority stake in English Premier League club Liverpool, the club’s owner Fenway Sports Group (FSG) announced Friday.

FSG said it had entered into a definitive agreement to sell the stake to 1892 Holdings, a consortium led and managed by British-Indian businessman Amit Bhatia.

The consortium includes Bhatia and the Mittal Family Trusts, K5 Sports and EE Capital, the family office of Elaine Saverin and her husband, Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin.

Bezos is participating in the transaction as the lead investor in K5 Sports. If completed, the deal would mark his first investment in a professional sports club.

FSG will retain majority ownership and operational control of Liverpool following the transaction, which remains subject to regulatory approval.

FSG did not disclose the financial terms, but media reports said the consortium would acquire around 30% of the club for £1.65 billion ($2.2 billion), valuing Liverpool at £5.5 billion ($7.4 billion).

Bhatia will become Liverpool’s vice chairman and join an expanded board alongside K5 Sports founder Bryan Baum and Elaine Saverin.

Bezos will not take a seat on the club’s board, according to reports.

“We are incredibly proud to be investing in Liverpool Football Club and to be doing so alongside FSG,” Bhatia said on behalf of 1892 Holdings.

“We have the utmost respect and admiration for FSG as owners and for everything they have achieved at Anfield. To be welcomed as a partner in a club of this stature is a huge privilege,” he added.

“We are making this investment because we believe deeply in Liverpool and its leadership, and we look forward to supporting the club’s continued success for years to come.”

Bhatia was previously a shareholder and chairman of Queens Park Rangers and is the son-in-law of Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal.

FSG bought Liverpool for £300 million ($480 million) in 2010 and will retain majority ownership and operational control following the investment.