Bezos-Backed Consortium Buys 38% of Liverpool in £2bn Deal — With Option for More
A consortium led by Amit Bhatia and counting Jeff Bezos among its backers has paid just over £2bn for a 38% stake in Liverpool FC, according to The Guardian. The deal, first reported by the Athletic and confirmed by The Guardian on 18 August 2026, values the club at roughly £5.5bn.
That stake is larger than initially understood. Early reporting had the figure at 30%, then around one-third. The final number landed at 38%. The buying vehicle is 1892 Holdings, a consortium assembled by Bhatia, whose father-in-law is the Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal. The Mittal Family Trust provided financial backing, and the Mittal family are worth around $17bn. Also in the group: Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, estimated at $33bn, and Bezos, who bought in through the K5 Sports fund. Bezos is a passive investor at this stage — a backer, not a decision-maker. K5 Global co-founder Bryan Baum will take a seat on an expanded Liverpool board, alongside Bhatia as vice-chair and Elaine Saverin.
Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool's owner since buying the club for £300m in 2010, remains in operational control. FSG has stated publicly that the deal is not part of an exit strategy and that it is not compelled to sell more of the club to the consortium at a future date. The Guardian
There is, however, a mechanism that keeps the door open. 1892 Holdings holds first refusal — the right to match any future offer — to become majority shareholder within the next 12 months, should FSG decide to sell. In plain terms: FSG picks the timing, but if they do put the club on the market, Bhatia's group gets first crack.
For supporters, the practical upshot is continuity for now. The people running the football side of Liverpool do not change. What shifts is the cast of names on the share register, and the size of the war chest behind them. FSG paid £300m in 2010. The club is now valued at £5.5bn. Whether that trajectory attracts further investment — or a full sale — is a question for the coming months, not the coming days.
