Bezos consortium acquires roughly 30% stake in Liverpool FC in deal valuing club at £5.5 billion

Jeff Bezos is officially in the football business. A consortium that includes the Amazon founder has reached an agreement to acquire roughly 30% of Liverpool Football Club from Fenway Sports Group in a deal worth approximately £1.65 billion, valuing the entire club at around £5.5 billion.

For context, FSG bought Liverpool in October 2010 for roughly £300 million. That means the club’s implied valuation has grown more than 18-fold in about 16 years.

Who’s in the consortium

The buying group operates under the name 1892 Holdings, a nod to the year Liverpool FC was founded. The lead investor is Bezos, channeling capital through the K5 Sports fund. Joining him are Amit Bhatia, who will take on the role of vice chairman on an expanded Liverpool board, the Mittal family (of ArcelorMittal steel empire fame), and Eduardo and Elaine Saverin through their vehicle EE Capital.

Eduardo Saverin co-founded Facebook alongside Mark Zuckerberg. He’s since become one of Southeast Asia’s most prominent tech investors from his base in Singapore.

FSG retains majority ownership and continues to run Liverpool’s day-to-day operations. But the agreement reportedly includes an option for the consortium to pursue a controlling interest down the road.

What £5.5 billion means in football terms

Liverpool’s valuation at £5.5 billion places it firmly among the most valuable football clubs on the planet. To put that in perspective, Todd Boehly’s consortium bought Chelsea in 2022 for around £4.25 billion. Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired a 27.7% stake in Manchester United in early 2024 at a valuation of roughly £6.3 billion.

FSG has been open about exploring minority investment for years. The group’s principal owner, John Henry, signaled as far back as 2022 that strategic capital injections were on the table, even as FSG made clear it wasn’t looking for a full exit.

Why billionaires keep buying into football

For Bezos specifically, this marks his first direct investment in a sports franchise. Steve Ballmer owns the LA Clippers. David Tepper owns the Carolina Panthers. Rob Walton bought the Denver Broncos.

Bhatia’s appointment as vice chairman signals the consortium wants a seat at the strategic table. His experience with QPR gives him familiarity with the governance demands of English football.

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