Liverpool’s ownership takes a major new turn: Here’s everything you need to know

In a recent update, Liverpool’s owner, Fenway Sports Group has finalized a deal to sell a 30% stake in the club to a consortium that includes the Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and the Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin.

The deal is considered to be worth £1.65bn valuing Liverpool at £5.5bn. The group will be controlled by British Indian businessman Amit Bhatia and also includes billionaire Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin.

Bhatia is set to become Liverpool’s vice-chairman and join the enlarged board subject to regulatory clearance.

Fenway Sports Group (FSG) clarified that the current deal supports Liverpool's long-term scaling ambitions through cross-functional synergy from global business, technology and investment.

In this connection, Mike Gordon, FSG president, said: “Liverpool has always been built by thinking beyond one season and making decisions with the club's long-term interests in mind. That approach continues to attract interest from respected investors and business leaders around the world.”

“As we considered this opportunity, it became clear that Amit and the consortium shared our long-term philosophy and appreciation for what makes Liverpool special.”

Liverpool successfully became the top-earning Premier League club for the first time in January. This month the club reported record avenues of £703 million for the 2024-25 financial year.

The current deal marks a massive increase in Liverpool’s value which requires investment off the pitch as well. It has been observed that Bezos stepped down as CEO of Amazon five years ago and continues to be one of the company’s biggest shareholders.

Why is Bezos investing in sport?

Last week, Bezos filed to sell 15 millions of his remaining Amazon shares with a market cap of about £3.1bn which raises the stakes in a negotiation offer in Liverpool.

Bezos has been linked with sports investment for some time mostly with American sports franchises that are either more expensive or not open to special offers. The acquisition of a major stake in Liverpool gives Bezos one of the most iconic association football brands for a small fraction of his fortune.

Furthermore, more than 200 workers in 2024 took part in a two-day strike at the Amazon site in Birmingham as part of a long-held dispute over pay and union rights; however, Amazon maintains it periodically reviews wages to assure that they are delivering competitive salaries.