Bezos consortium acquired 38% of Liverpool in £1.5bn deal valuing club at over £5bn

A consortium including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos acquired 38% of Liverpool Football Club from Fenway Sports Group in a deal worth more than £1.5bn, with the club valued at over £5bn. The stake purchased by 1892 Holdings is significantly larger than the 30% to one-third share that had initially been reported.

1892 Holdings is led by Amit Bhatia and also includes Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, who is Bhatia’s father-in-law. Bezos, whose estimated net worth stands at $270bn, is among the world’s wealthiest individuals, while both Saverin and Mittal are each reportedly worth more than $30bn.

The agreement also includes a framework for future investment by 1892 Holdings, though neither the consortium nor FSG are committed to exercising it. FSG, who purchased Liverpool for £300m in 2010, will retain full operational control of the club.

Bhatia is set to become a vice-chairman of Liverpool. Elaine Saverin, wife of Eduardo, and Brian Baum from K5 Sports — Bezos’ investment fund — will join the club’s board as directors.

Despite the scale of the investment, the deal is not expected to affect Liverpool’s transfer budget or recruitment policy, with FSG continuing to oversee the club’s footballing operations.