Bezos and Bhatia consortium explores minority stake in Liverpool FC
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and British investor Amit Bhatia are negotiating a minority stake in Liverpool FC, signaling a new wave of ultra-wealthy capital entering European sports assets.
Fenway Sports Group is in discussions with a consortium led by British Indian entrepreneur Amit Bhatia regarding the sale of a minority stake in Liverpool FC. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has been approached to join the investment syndicate, a development confirmed by a Fenway Sports Group spokesperson.
While exact figures remain undisclosed, reports indicate the consortium is targeting up to a 30 per cent share of the club. Based on recent Forbes valuations placing Liverpool at £4.7bn, the fourth most valuable football club globally, the transaction could be worth well over £1bn.
This potential deal underscores the growing appetite among global tech billionaires and diversified investment firms for premium European sports assets. For the broader market, it highlights how elite football clubs are increasingly treated as alternative asset classes, attracting institutional capital seeking both prestige and long-term appreciation.
Bhatia, 46, brings extensive sports management experience to the table. He previously served as chairman of Queens Park Rangers and currently manages AyBe Capital, an investment firm with holdings in technology, media, and real estate. His father-in-law, steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, holds an estimated fortune of £23.2bn and recently acquired a 75 per cent stake in the Rajasthan Royals cricket franchise.
Bezos, whose personal fortune is estimated at $245bn (£184bn), would provide unprecedented financial firepower to the syndicate. Although he has previously explored bids for American football franchises, he does not currently hold a significant stake in any sports enterprise.
Fenway Sports Group, which acquired Liverpool for £300m in 2010, is under no immediate pressure to sell. Under their ownership, Liverpool has secured every major trophy available, leading the proprietors to view their tenure as a completed mission. The group has previously demonstrated openness to fresh capital, notably completing a minority sale to Dynasty Equity in 2023, and stands to realize substantial returns on its initial outlay.
The club’s ownership structure is already diversified, with private equity firms RedBird Capital and Arctos Sports Partners holding minority positions alongside Dynasty Equity. Any new transaction remains in its early stages and is expected to take months rather than weeks to finalize.
