Bezos-Backed Consortium Takes 38% Stake in Liverpool as FSG Keeps Control
A consortium named 1892 Holdings, which includes Jeff Bezos and Eduardo Saverin, has acquired approximately 38% of Liverpool FC from Fenway Sports Group. Led by British-Indian businessman Amit Bhatia, the deal values the club between £5 billion and £6 billion and includes an option for the consortium to acquire a controlling stake within the next 12 months. FSG will maintain control of the club despite this significant strategic minority investment.
Liverpool Football Club has undergone one of the biggest ownership changes of the Fenway Sports Group era, with a consortium backed by Jeff Bezos and Eduardo Saverin acquiring roughly 38% of the club.
The investment was made through 1892 Holdings, the consortium named after Liverpool’s founding year, and is led by British-Indian businessman Amit Bhatia. FSG will remain Liverpool’s majority owner and retain operational control.
Early reports suggested the consortium had purchased around 30% to one-third of the club. More recent reporting, however, places the stake at approximately 38%, making it a considerably larger minority position than first understood.
The transaction values Liverpool at around £5.5 billion, with the investment understood to be worth well over £1.5 billion. That represents an extraordinary increase from the £300 million FSG paid when it bought the club in 2010.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is involved through K5 Sports, where he is the lead investor. Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin is represented through EE Capital, while the Mittal Family Trusts are also part of the consortium.
Bhatia will take a more visible role than either Bezos or Saverin.
Subject to regulatory approval, the former Queens Park Rangers co-owner will become Liverpool’s vice-chairman and join an expanded club board. Elaine Saverin and K5 Sports co-founder Bryan Baum are also expected to join the board, while Bezos himself will not take a seat.
The investment gives 1892 Holdings significant financial exposure to one of the world’s most valuable football clubs without immediately changing who runs Liverpool.
FSG president Mike Gordon said the consortium shared the ownership group’s long-term approach and understanding of what makes Liverpool distinctive. The new investors are expected to work alongside FSG on opportunities that could strengthen the club both commercially and on the pitch.
There is also a potentially important longer-term dimension.
Recent reporting indicates that 1892 Holdings has first-refusal rights if FSG decides to sell a controlling stake within the next 12 months. That does not mean a full takeover has been agreed, but it gives the consortium a potentially important position should Liverpool’s ownership structure change again.
For now, FSG remains firmly in control.
Since acquiring Liverpool in 2010, the American group has overseen a period that included Premier League and Champions League triumphs, major expansion at Anfield and substantial growth in the club’s commercial value.
The arrival of investors connected to Bezos, Saverin and the Mittal family underlines just how valuable elite Premier League clubs have become to global billionaires and investment groups.
And with a reported 38% stake now in new hands, this is considerably more than a token investment — even if Liverpool’s day-to-day control remains with FSG.