Jeff Bezos closes in on deal to acquire minority stake in Liverpool FC

Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos is reportedly part of a consortium closing in on a deal to acquire a minority stake in Liverpool Football Club.

The consortium, led by British-Indian businessman Amit Bhatia, also includes Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin.

According to Sky News, the group is expected to acquire just over 30 per cent of Liverpool, which is majority-owned by Fenway Sports Group (FSG).

FSG is reportedly preparing to announce details of the consortium later this week.

If completed, the deal would value Liverpool at around $6 billion, putting the Premier League club’s valuation in the same range as the NBA’s Boston Celtics and NFL’s Miami Dolphins.

The proposed investment would bring three high-profile billionaires into Liverpool’s ownership structure, with Bezos and Saverin joining Bhatia as investors.

The deal would also mark Bezos’ first major investment in football.

Saverin, meanwhile, was previously involved in an unsuccessful attempt to acquire Chelsea Football Club.

The proposed investment is expected to provide Liverpool with additional financial backing as the club seeks to remain competitive at the top of English and European football.

Bezos founded Amazon in 1994 and has since built a vast business empire that includes aerospace company Blue Origin and investment firm Nash Holdings, which owns The Washington Post.

Forbes estimates Bezos’ fortune at about $281 billion (£209 billion), making him one of the world’s wealthiest individuals.

Bhatia, 46, has an investment banking background and is the founder and manager of AyBe Capital, an investment firm with interests spanning technology, media, property, consumer retail and healthcare.

He is married to Vanisha Mittal Bhatia, daughter of Indian billionaire steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal.

Forbes estimates Mittal’s fortune at around £23.2 billion.

The proposed Liverpool investment is subject to completion and formal confirmation by the club and FSG.