A consortium featuring Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has made further progress in negotiations to acquire roughly a 30% stake in Liverpool, potentially bringing one of the world’s wealthiest businessmen into English football.
The investment group is being led by British-Indian businessman Amit Bhatia and also includes Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin. Liverpool owner Fenway Sports Group acknowledged last month that the consortium had approached the club about taking a strategic minority position.
Bhatia has extensive experience in English football after spending 18 years as a director and co-owner of Queens Park Rangers. He gave up his stake in the Championship club last month. He is also the son-in-law of Indian steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal.
Bezos would provide the consortium with considerable financial strength. The 62-year-old founded Amazon and remains one of the richest people globally, with Forbes estimating his fortune at about $256bn (£192bn).
Fenway Sports Group has controlled Liverpool since completing a £300m takeover in 2010. The US-based ownership group has previously brought in outside capital without surrendering control, including the sale of a minority shareholding to sports investment company Dynasty Equity in 2023.
FSG has not provided further details on the latest stage of discussions.
Any investment would come at a time when Liverpool’s commercial and financial position is particularly strong. The club moved ahead of its Premier League rivals in Deloitte’s revenue rankings earlier this year and subsequently reported record income of £703m for the 2024-25 financial period.
Bezos stepped down as Amazon chief executive in 2021 and became the company’s executive chairman. He continues to hold approximately 8% of Amazon while maintaining several other major business interests, including ownership of The Washington Post and aerospace company Blue Origin.
The American billionaire has previously considered investing directly in major sports franchises. He was linked with the Washington Commanders when the NFL team was put up for sale in 2023 and had also explored a possible purchase of the Seattle Seahawks.
Neither pursuit resulted in an offer, but the Liverpool talks could now provide Bezos with his first significant ownership interest in professional sport.
Should negotiations lead to an agreement, FSG would remain Liverpool’s controlling shareholder while the new consortium would secure a substantial minority position in one of the Premier League’s most valuable clubs.