Jeff Bezos Reportedly Targets Liverpool Stake
Jeff Bezos is reportedly attempting to join the exclusive club of very rich Americans buying stakes in U.K. soccer teams. The Amazon founder is looking to acquire at least a 30% stake in the English soccer team Liverpool at a £1.35 billion valuation (around $1.8 billion), according to The Guardian.
If this deal closes, it will mark the first sports investment for the billionaire, although he reportedly previously looked at buying a stake in a U.S. football team. Bezos would be joining a growing list of American billionaires and celebrities who have invested in English football.
Why Liverpool? A Global Brand
Liverpool is one of the most notable sports teams in Europe and is worth about $6 billion, reports Forbes. The team has the kind of brand recognition in the U.K. that the Dallas Cowboys has in the U.S. For Bezos, whose net worth currently sits around $280 billion, acquiring a stake in such a globally recognized franchise seems a natural next step.
The American Billionaire Trend in U.K. Soccer
It seems no billionaire portfolio is complete these days without a mega yacht and a sports team, so Bezos’ interest is not surprising. There’s also something very romantic these days about owning an English soccer team, especially after the success of TV shows like “Ted Lasso” and Ryan Reynolds’ FX show “Welcome to Wrexham” about his experience owning that English team.
Other American billionaires already in this club include:
Todd Boehly and Mark Walters (who also own the LA Dodgers and LA Lakers) buying Chelsea
Woody Johnson (New York Jets co-owner and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.K.) buying Crystal Palace
Dan Friedkin taking a stake in Everton
Bill Foley leading a group that also included Michael B. Jordan buying Bournemouth
Celebrity Culture and Sports Ownership
Owning a stake in a U.K. sports team has also become a celebrity cultural phenomenon. Beyond Reynolds and Jordan, other celebrity investors include:
Tom Brady purchasing a minority stake in Birmingham City
Will Ferrell holding a minority stake in Leeds United, alongside Russell Westbrook and Michael Phelps
Why Americans Are Flocking to Premier League Clubs
Sky Sports reported earlier this year on why so many Americans seem to be taking over U.K. football. The numbers are striking: 13 out of 20 Premier League clubs (the top football league in England) now have American shareholders.
Several factors drive this trend:
Soccer has become increasingly popular in the U.S.
Top American sports franchises like the NFL and MLB are either too expensive or closed off to new buyers
It’s much more possible to buy into a Premier League team
Bezos’s Growing U.K. Interests
Owning a share in such a team also buys access and proximity to some of the most bankable and recognizable sports icons on Earth. Bezos over the past few years—especially since he married former news anchor and TV show host Lauren Sánchez—has become seen as more of a cultural figure, rather than solely a tech mogul.
Amazon has also streamed some European soccer leagues in the past, and Bezos has growing interests in the U.K. As TechCrunch previously reported, his new AI company Prometheus is reportedly looking to sign a lease to move into London’s AI hub King’s Cross.
Competition for the Stake
Bezos isn’t alone in pursuing this opportunity. The Guardian reports that Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin is also among those looking to buy at least a 30% stake in Liverpool at the £1.35 billion valuation. This competition highlights the increasing desirability of English football assets among tech billionaires.
What This Means for Liverpool and Premier League
The potential acquisition of a significant stake by Bezos would further cement American influence in the Premier League. With nearly two-thirds of clubs already having American shareholders, the trend shows no signs of slowing down.
For Liverpool, having a billionaire of Bezos’s stature involved could bring:
Additional financial resources
Global marketing expertise
Technology and streaming partnerships through Amazon
With a net worth currently sitting at around $280 billion, perhaps it’s actually more than time that Bezos got himself a sports team. The Jeff Bezos Liverpool stake represents a logical extension of his transformation from tech mogul to cultural figure and his growing interests in the U.K.
As American investment in Premier League clubs continues to grow, Bezos’s potential entry into sports ownership through Liverpool would mark yet another milestone in the globalization of English football.
