Liverpool Football Club is on the brink of a major ownership shift as Fenway Sports Group (FSG) prepares to confirm the sale of a sizeable share to a consortium that includes Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The deal, reported by Sky News, would see roughly one‑third of the club’s equity transferred to a group led by former Queens Park Rangers co‑owner Amit Bhatia, with Facebook co‑founder Eduardo Saverin also listed among the investors. The involvement of Bezos, the world’s third‑richest individual, adds a high‑profile dimension to the transaction.
Bezos built Amazon from a modest garage operation in Seattle in 1994 into a global e‑commerce behemoth, and his personal portfolio extends to aerospace pioneer Blue Origin, the Washington Post via his holding company Nash Holdings, and a variety of venture‑capital interests. Forbes estimates his net worth at about $281 billion (£209 billion), placing him behind only Elon Musk and Google co‑founder Larry Page in the global wealth rankings.
Amit Bhatia, the consortium’s front‑man, is a 46‑year‑old British‑Indian entrepreneur with a background in investment banking. He runs AyBe Capital, a multi‑asset investment firm that spreads capital across technology, media, property, consumer retail, and health sectors. Bhatia is married to Vanisha Mittal Bhatia, daughter of steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, whose personal fortune Forbes values at roughly £23.2 billion, ranking him 72nd worldwide. While Bhatia’s own net worth has not been disclosed, his connection to the Mittal family underscores the financial muscle behind the bid.
Bhatia’s football credentials are substantial. He joined the board of Queens Park Rangers at the age of 28 and became vice‑chairman in 2007 after the Mittal family purchased a 20 percent stake in the club.
He served as QPR chairman from 2018 until 2023, after which he transferred his interest to majority owner Ruben Gnanalingam. Through AyBe Capital, Bhatia has also invested in emerging sports ventures such as TGL, a technology‑driven golf league co‑created by Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods, and Switch Hitter, a media brand founded by former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen.
Earlier this year, his father‑in‑law acquired a 75 percent stake in the IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals, further demonstrating the family’s appetite for high‑profile sports assets. The prospective Liverpool deal would value the club at about £4.4 billion ($6 billion), positioning it among the most expensive football transactions ever completed. Currently, Liverpool ranks as the fourth‑most valuable football club globally. FSG, which took control of Liverpool in 2010 after a turbulent period under previous owners Tom Hicks and George Gillette, has already sold a minority interest to Dynasty Equity in 2023, raising £164 million and valuing the club at over $4.5 billion at that time.
Private‑equity firms RedBird Capital and Arctos Sports Partners also hold smaller stakes. FSG has indicated that it is not under pressure to divest, but it signalled openness to fresh capital in 2022, a stance that aligns with its track record of delivering unprecedented success on the pitch.
Since taking over, the group has overseen an era that includes multiple Premier League titles, a UEFA Champions League trophy, and a historic treble in 2022. The owners may view a partial sale as a way to cash in on their investment while still retaining operational control. The timeline for the transaction remains fluid. Initial reports surfaced at the end of last month, and sources suggest that an official announcement could arrive as early as this week, though it may also be delayed into the following week.
The exact composition of the consortium beyond Bezos, Bhatia, and Saverin remains undisclosed, and the final purchase price for the one‑third share has not been confirmed. Eduardo Saverin’s involvement adds another layer of intrigue.
The Brazilian‑born Facebook co‑founder, now 44, previously participated in an unsuccessful bid to acquire Chelsea during the 2022 auction triggered by geopolitical tensions surrounding the Ukraine conflict. His experience in high‑stakes football negotiations could prove valuable in navigating the complexities of a Liverpool takeover. While Bezos is known to be an avid American football fan—having reportedly explored ownership bids for the Washington Commanders and the Seattle Seahawks—he has not held a significant stake in any sports franchise to date.
His entry into European football would mark a notable expansion of his sports portfolio and could bring substantial commercial expertise, particularly in leveraging digital platforms and global branding. In summary, the prospective sale of a roughly one‑third stake in Liverpool FC to a consortium featuring Jeff Bezos, Amit Bhatia, and Eduardo Saverin represents a potentially transformative moment for the club. The deal would inject fresh capital, align the Reds with some of the world’s most influential business figures, and could set a new benchmark for valuation in the sport.
As the negotiations progress, fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see how this high‑profile partnership could shape Liverpool’s future on and off the pitch.