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Liverpool owner Fenway Sports Group is in talks with a consortium fronted by Amit Bhatia to sell a minority stake in the club.
Since then, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has emerged – The world’s third richest man – has been approached to join the syndicate of investors
We look at some of the key questions surrounding what could be 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 an investment banking background.
Amit Bhatia is the former co-owner of Queens Park Rangers
He currently runs AyBe Capital, a multi-asset investment firm that invests in various sectors including technology, media, property and real estate, consumer retail and health.
Bhatia is married to Vanisha Mittal Bhatia, daughter of Indian tycoon Lakshmi Mittal.
Bezos is one of the world’s most famous businessmen and owns e-commerce giant Amazon, which he founded in 1994 out of his Seattle garage.
His other investments include aerospace company Blue Origin and venture capital firm Nash Holdings, which owns The Washington Post.
What are they worth?
It is not clear how much Bhatia himself is worth. But her father-in-law, billionaire steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, is worth an estimated £23.2 billion, according to Forbes. This makes him the 72nd richest person in the world.
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Sky News’ Marc Kleinman discusses the possible involvement of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in a consortium – led by former QPR co-owner Amit Bhatia – which is trying to buy a stake in Liverpool
Bezos is much richer than Mittal. Forbes estimates his personal fortune to be in the region of $245bn (£184bn), making him the third richest person in the world behind Elon Musk and Google co-founder Larry Page.
What are their sports interests?
Bhatia joined the board of directors when he was just 28 and became vice-chairman of QPR in 2007 after the Mittal family bought a 20 percent stake in QPR, joining Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore as investors in the London club.
He spent five years as QPR chairman between 2018 and 2023 and as a director and co-owner until earlier this week when he handed over his majority stake in the club to Ruben Gnanalingam.
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Amit Bhatia leads consortium to buy minority stake in Liverpool – we take a closer look at ex-QPR co-owner
Through AyBe Capital, Bhatia is an investor in TGL – Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods’ golf league that integrates golf and technology and features six teams with the world’s best players in a season-long competition.
His firm also invests in Switch Hiter, a media brand founded by Kevin Pietersen that offers exclusive interviews and content with the world’s top cricketers.
Rajasthan Royals were the most sought after IPL cricket franchises
Earlier this year, Bhatia’s father-in-law bought a 75 percent stake in the Rajasthan Royals Indian Premier League cricket franchise.
Bezos is a big American football fan and has previously reportedly explored bids for both the Washington Commanders and the Seattle Seahawks.
Amazon co-founder Jeff Bezos is known to be a big American football fan
He is currently not known to have significant stake in any sports team or enterprise. Interestingly, he attended the World Cup Round of 16 match between USA and Belgium in Seattle earlier this month and was accompanied by his wife Lauren Sanchez Bezos.
Why would FSG want to sell?
FSG are under no pressure to sell but indicated in 2022 that they were open to new investment in Liverpool, selling a small stake to Dynasty Equity the following year.
Liverpool have enjoyed huge success under FSG, lifting every major trophy available to win.
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Football finance expert Kieran Maguire explains what a ‘strategic minority partnership’ is and if a potential deal could signal the end of Fenway Sports Group as Liverpool’s owner.
FSG may feel that its mission is somewhat accomplished as far as they are concerned and therefore ripe for new investment. They stand to make a huge profit on their initial investment – even if they sell a percentage of the club’s shares.
How much do Bhatia and Bezos want to buy and what might the deal be worth?
There is no confirmation of the stake in Liverpool that the consortium wants to buy, but reports suggest it could be anything up to 30 percent. What the deal will be worth depends entirely on Bhatia & Co’s stake.
What is the value of the club?
Liverpool is the fourth most valuable club in the world. They were recently valued by Forbes at £4.7bn, behind Manchester United (£5.4bn), Barcelona (£5.6bn) and Real Madrid at £7.1bn.
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 a passive investor in Liverpool after injecting £164m into the club in 2023.
Anfield is the home of Liverpool Football Club
How much did FSG pay for Liverpool?
FSG was known as New England Sports Ventures when they paid £300m for Liverpool in October 2010 after a turbulent period under former owners Tom Hicks and George Gillette.
When can the deal go ahead?
There is no deadline as it stands, but the deal is still in a relatively early stage and it is expected that any potential transaction could take months rather than weeks to complete.
Who else is involved?
Bhatia has been confirmed as the head of the consortium. Sky News has exclusively revealed that Bhatia has approached Bezos about joining the investment group, but the identity of any other potential investors is unknown at this stage.
