Liverpool owner Fenway Sports Group is in talks with a consortium led by Amit Bhatia over the sale of a minority stake in the club.
Afterwards, it was reported that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the world’s third-richest person, received an offer to join the investor coalition.
We look at some of the key questions surrounding one of the most extraordinary deals involving a Premier League club in recent times…
Who are Bhatia and Bezos?
Bhatia is a 46-year-old British-Indian entrepreneur with a background in investment banking.
Amit Bhatia is the former co-owner of Queen’s Park Rangers.
He currently manages a multi-asset investment firm called AyBe Capital, which invests in a variety of sectors including technology, media, real estate, real estate, consumer retail, and healthcare.
Bhatia is married to Vanisha Mittal Bhatia, the daughter of Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal.
Bezos is one of the world’s most famous businessmen and the owner of Amazon, the e-commerce giant he founded in a Seattle garage in 1994.
His other investments include aerospace company Blue Origin and venture capital firm Nash Holdings, owner of The Washington Post.
What is its value?
It is unclear how much Bhatia herself is worth. However, his father-in-law, billionaire steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, is worth around £23.2 billion, according to Forbes. With this, he became the 72nd richest person in the world.
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Sky News’ Mark Kleinman discusses the possibility of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos joining a consortium led by former QPR co-owner Amit Bhatia. The consortium is looking to buy a stake in Liverpool.
Bezos is much wealthier than Mittal. Forbes estimates his personal wealth to be worth $245 billion (£184 billion), making him the third-richest person in the world after Elon Musk and Google co-founder Larry Page.
What are their sports interests?
Bhatia was just 28 years old when he joined the board and became vice-chairman of QPR in 2007 after the Mittal family bought a 20% stake in QPR and joined Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore as investors in the London club.
He served as QPR chairman for five years between 2018 and 2023 and remained a director and co-owner until transferring his stake in the club to majority shareholder Ruben Gnanalingam earlier this week.
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Amit Bhatia is leading a consortium to buy a minority stake in Liverpool. We take a closer look at the former QPR co-owner.
Through AyBe Capital, Bhatia invested in TGL (Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods’ golf league). The league fuses golf and technology and features six teams featuring some of the world’s best players throughout the season.
His company has also invested in Switch Hitter, a media brand founded by Kevin Pietersen that provides exclusive interviews and content with the world’s best cricketers.
Rajasthan Royals has been one of the most popular IPL cricket franchises.
Earlier this year, Bhatia’s father-in-law acquired a 75% stake in the Rajasthan Royals Indian Premier League cricket franchise.
Bezos is a huge fan of American football and has previously been reported to have explored bids for both the Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks.
Amazon co-founder Jeff Bezos is known to be a big fan of American football.
He is not currently known to hold significant stakes in any sports teams or companies. Interestingly, he accompanied his wife Lauren Sanchez Bezos to the round of 16 World Cup match between the United States and Belgium in Seattle earlier this month.
Why does FSG want to sell?
FSG is not under pressure to sell but has said it is open to new investment in Liverpool in 2022, with the sale of a small stake to Dynamity Equity completed the following year.
Liverpool have enjoyed great success at FSG, lifting every major trophy they can win.
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Football finance expert Kieran Maguire explains what a ‘strategic minority stake’ is and whether a potential deal could signal the end for Fenway Sports Group as Liverpool owners.
FSG may feel that its mission has been achieved to some extent and may therefore accept new investments. They can also reap huge profits from their initial investment. Even if they sell some of their shares in the club.
How much do Bhatia and Bezos want to buy and what is the deal worth?
There is no confirmation of the stake in Liverpool the consortium is looking to buy, but reports suggest it could be up to 30%. The value of the deal entirely depends on the stake Bhatia and co are willing to acquire.
What is the club worth?
Liverpool is the fourth most valuable club in the world. Forbes recently valued them at £4.7 billion, behind Manchester United (£5.4 billion), Barcelona (£5.6 billion) and Real Madrid (£7.1 billion).
Who owns Liverpool?
FSG has full control of Liverpool, but private equity firms RedBird Capital and Arctos Sports Partners both hold minority stakes in the club. Dynasty Equity is also a passive investor in Liverpool after committing £164 million to the club in 2023.
Anfield, home of Liverpool Football Club
How much did FSG pay Liverpool?
FSG became known as New England Sports Ventures when they paid £300m for Liverpool in October 2010 after a tumultuous period under previous owners Tom Hicks and George Gillette.
When can the transaction proceed?
There is no set time frame at this time, but the deal is still in the relatively early stages and any potential deal is expected to take months rather than weeks to complete.
Who else is involved?
Bhatia has been identified as leading the consortium. Sky News exclusively revealed that Bhatia had approached Bezos about joining the investment group, but the identities of other potential investors are unknown at this stage.
