Jeff Bezos (foto: Getty Images)
Jeff Bezos has joined a powerful investment group that has agreed to acquire around 30 percent of Liverpool, marking one of the biggest ownership changes in the club's history.
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Liverpool are preparing for a major change in their ownership structure. Fenway Sports Group has reportedly reached an agreement to sell around 30 percent of the Premier League giants to the 1892 Holdings consortium, which includes Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
The transaction represents one of the most significant ownership developments at Liverpool since FSG acquired the club in 2010. The English giants are currently valued at approximately £5 billion to £6 billion.
The consortium is led by British-Indian businessman Amit Bhatia and also includes billionaire Eduardo Saverin, one of the co-founders of Facebook.
Following regulatory approval of the transaction, Bhatia is expected to become Liverpool vice-chairman and join the club's wider board of directors. He already has considerable experience in English football after spending around 18 years as a director and co-owner of Queens Park Rangers.
Bezos, whose fortune is estimated at approximately $256 billion, is participating in the Liverpool investment through K5 Sports.
The Amazon founder is not expected to take a seat on Liverpool's board. His interests will instead be represented by Bryan Baum, founder of K5.
For Liverpool supporters, one of the biggest questions surrounding the deal concerns the transfer market and whether the arrival of investors with enormous financial resources will lead to increased spending on players.
According to the BBC, that will not be the case. The transaction is not expected to provide Liverpool with an additional transfer budget, meaning the club's existing sporting and recruitment strategy will remain unchanged.
The investment nevertheless gives Liverpool another extremely powerful financial partner at a time when valuations of Europe's biggest football clubs continue to rise.
The agreement also represents Bezos' first significant investment in the ownership structure of a major professional sports club.
Liverpool have previously attracted investment from another global sporting superstar. NBA legend LeBron James became involved with the club through his relationship with FSG, initially acquiring a minority interest connected to Liverpool before later converting his investment into a stake in the wider Fenway Sports Group.
With Bezos and Saverin now joining the investment structure through 1892 Holdings, Liverpool's ownership is set to include some of the wealthiest and most influential business figures in the world.