Merseyside | Liverpool sell around a third of club to Bezos backed group

Interesting news for Liverpool fans

Their owners have agreed to sell around a third of the club to a consortium that includes Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos.

Author | William G

Fenway Sports Group (FSG) confirmed it had reached a “definitive agreement” with 1892 Holdings for a “strategic minority investment”.

The consortium is led 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 will join an expanded board, subject to regulatory approval.

The son-in-law of Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, Bhatia spent 18 years as a director and co-owner of Queens Park Rangers before relinquishing his stake in the club last month.

Bezos, the founder of e-commerce giant Amazon, is the world’s fourth-richest person, with an estimated net worth of $256bn (£192bn). The investment represents his first move into sports ownership, although he will not take up a position on Liverpool’s board.

Bryan Baum, founder of venture capital firm K5 Sports, through which Bezos is making the investment, will join the Anfield board alongside Saverin’s wife, Elaine. Bezos is K5 Sports’ largest investor.

What do fans think of Bezos’ involvement?

Liverpool fans see the club as having a distinct set of values, rooted in its working-class identity and traditions.

Though others have pointed out that Liverpool fans were happy for connections with Dubai to buy the club in 2009 during the ill-fated ownership of Hicks and Gillette.

When Fenway Sports Group attempted to increase season-ticket prices last season, supporters’ group Spirit of Shankly (SOS) launched a campaign called ‘Not a Pound in the Ground’.

The campaign encouraged fans to buy food and drink from local businesses around Anfield rather than spending money inside the stadium. It proved effective, with the club eventually reducing the scale of its planned price increase.

Earlier this week, SOS also raised concerns about the proposed investment and what Bezos’ involvement could mean for the club