Jeff Bezos reportedly in talks to join Liverpool ownership consortium

Fenway Sports Group confirmed Tuesday that it is in discussions with a consortium led by Amit Bhatia about a strategic minority investment in Liverpool FC, according to Front Office Sports. Sky News reported that Jeff Bezos, the world's fourth-richest person with a net worth of almost $254 billion according to Forbes, has held discussions about joining the consortium, though the report cautioned there is no guarantee he will end up investing.

A deal could value Liverpool at around $6 billion, per the Financial Times. Bhatia, the son-in-law of Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, has co-owned the EFL Championship's Queens Park Rangers for the last 18 seasons. On Tuesday, he stepped down from QPR's board and agreed to transfer his stake to majority owner Ruben Gnanalingam.

The Mittal family, including Aditya Mittal (Lakshmi's son, a Celtics minority owner holding a $1 billion investment), is part of the consortium. Aditya Mittal recently lost out on buying the Seahawks to a group led by 49ers minority owner Vinod Khosla. Lakshmi Mittal purchased the Rajasthan Royals of the Indian Premier League in May for $1.65 billion.

Representatives for Amazon and Blue Origin did not respond to requests for comment about Bezos's involvement. A source familiar with the matter tells Front Office Sports that discussions with the Bhatia-led group are preliminary and there is no guarantee a deal will be reached.

Bezos has been linked to sports ownership before. His name came up when the Celtics were for sale, although a source close to Bezos later denied his interest. In 2021, he was linked to the Commanders, which ultimately sold to Josh Harris for $6.05 billion. Private-equity firm Dynasty Equity acquired a minority stake in Liverpool in 2023. Liverpool has more than 130 years of history, 20 English league titles, and six European Cups.

Harsh Talikoti of Houlihan Lokey states the reported $6 billion valuation underlines how far premium sports franchises have moved from trophy assets to institutional-grade investments. Multiple sources indicate that leagues like the NFL generally view potential majority owners more favorably if they are first minority owners.