A consortium that includes Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has acquired close to 40% of Liverpool FC from Fenway Sports Group (FSG). The initial reports suggested a stake of about a third, but the actual figure is approximately 38%.
FSG confirmed on Friday that it had entered into a "definitive agreement" for the sale of a "strategic minority investment" to 1892 Holdings. This group, named after Liverpool's founding year, is led by British-Indian millionaire businessman Amit Bhatia and also includes billionaire Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin.
Amit Bhatia is set to become Liverpool's vice-chairman and will join an expanded board, pending regulatory approval. He previously served as a director and co-owner of Queens Park Rangers for 18 years, relinquishing his stake last month. The deal is understood to value Liverpool between £5bn and £6bn, and the consortium has an option to buy a controlling stake in the club within the next 12 months, though this does not involve a formal commitment.