A consortium, led by Amit Bhatia, has held talks with Liverpool F.C. over a potential minority share sale which would add to Bhatia’s growing sports investment portfolio; the consortium could include Jeff Bezos.
Liverpool F.C. is the subject of a minority share bid from a consortium courting the attention of Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos which would value the Premier League club more than $6bn.
Amit Bhatia, former owner of English football club Queens Park Rangers (QPR), is leading the consortium and has reportedly hired financial advisors to oversee the talks with Liverpool’s majority owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG).
The Financial Times reported that, according to sources familiar with the matter, no deal has yet been agreed and there is no certainty it will materialise.
“An investment consortium led, managed and represented by Amit Bhatia has expressed interest in making a strategic minority investment in Liverpool Football Club,” said Liverpool, in a statement sent to the Financial Times.
Talks of the minority stake sale come after Bhatia agreed to transfer his ownership of QPR to majority owner Ruben Gnanalingam yesterday (21 July), subsequently stepping down from the club’s board.
Under both Premier League and English Football League (EFL) regulations, a sole entity is prohibited from owning a share, having managerial influence and/or administrative control over more than one club across multiple English football league tiers.
FSG last sold a minority share in Liverpool in September 2023 to US sports equity firm, Dynasty Equity. The firm purchased the share for a fee reported to be around $200m, which was used as additional capital to invest in the club’s stadium infrastructure and training ground.
Where does Jeff Bezos fit in?
A report from Sky News revealed that one of the wealthiest people in the world, Jeff Bezos, has been approached to join the Bhatia-led consortium for the Liverpool minority stake.
Bezos has reportedly held discussions about joining the consortium, but is not certain whether he would be willing to invest in Liverpool.
With a net worth of $256.9bn, Bezos has been linked to many sports teams investments in the past several years.
He was tied to the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, which recently sold for a record $9bn to the Khosla Family. Bezos was also linked with being a potential candidate for another NFL franchise, the Washington Commanders, before the team was sold for $6.05bn in 2023.
Bhatia’s past sports investments
The former QPR minority owner had been with the EFL Championship club since 2007 and has since built out his sporting portfolio.
His most recent and high-profile investment came two months ago, acquiring a minority stake in Indian Premier League cricket team the Rajasthan Royals.
Alongside his father-in-law, Lakshmi Mittal, who is a steel entrepreneur worth up to $23bn, Bhatia was part of the Mittal Family’s deal to acquire a 75% majority stake in the Royals. The team’s valuation increased to $1.65bn after the deal was settled.
Speaking to Insider Sport, Harsh Talikoti, a Director in Houlihan Lokey’s Financial and Valuation Advisory business, believes Bhati prior investments experience comes as no surprise why he is now eyeing a minority share in Liverpool.
“It is also telling that the interest reportedly comes from a family with an established sports portfolio, a sign of capital converging across leagues on the same underlying thesis,” says Talikoti.
“Minority stakes have become the preferred entry point, letting investors gain exposure to that growth story while incumbent owners retain control and crystallise value.”
