One of the most iconic clubs in global soccer, Liverpool FC, has entered a new era of ownership after a US-backed consortium including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos secured a near-40 percent minority stake in the Premier League side, according to a new report from The Athletic.
Initial reports had pegged the stake purchased from current owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) at one-third of the club, but The Athletic’s latest update corrected the figure to approximately 38 percent, held by the investment vehicle 1892 Holdings. The agreement also includes a non-binding option for the consortium to acquire a controlling majority stake in the club within the next 12 months, a clause that has sparked widespread speculation about a full takeover of the 20-time English champions.
FSG, the US-based sports ownership group that has owned Liverpool since 2010, confirmed the deal with 1892 Holdings last Friday. The consortium is fronted by British-Indian millionaire Amit Bhatia, who was previously co-owner of English Championship side Queens Park Rangers for 18 years. Bhatia stepped down from his QPR role shortly after his link to the Liverpool deal became public. Joining Bhatia in the consortium are Bezos and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin.
For Bezos, the world’s fourth-wealthiest individual with an estimated net worth of $256 billion, this stake marks his first confirmed investment in a professional sports franchise. The Amazon founder had long been linked with potential bids for two NFL teams, the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, but he never followed through on a purchase until this Liverpool deal.
FSG’s decision to sell a large minority stake comes 14 years after the group bought Liverpool for a total of £300 million (equivalent to $406 million at current exchange rates). It is not the first time FSG has sold off a portion of its stake: three years ago, the group sold roughly 3 percent of the club to global sports investment firm Dynasty Equity.
The investment arrives at a pivotal moment for Liverpool, which is gearing up to kick off its 2025-26 Premier League campaign this Sunday with an away fixture against Newcastle United. The club is looking to rebound from a hugely underwhelming 2024-25 season, where a fifth-place finish left them out of the Champions League places. That disappointing result led to the sacking of manager Arne Slot just 12 months after he won the Premier League title in his first season in charge, succeeding the popular long-term manager Jurgen Klopp.
New head coach Andoni Iraola has already begun reshaping the squad, with the club having spent roughly £94 million on new signings Jeremy Jacquet and Victor Munoz since the end of last season. With the Premier League transfer window set to remain open for several more weeks, the fresh injection of capital from the new minority investors is expected to give Iraola additional room to add more reinforcements to his squad before the campaign gets fully underway.