Jeff Bezos is buying into English soccer. Fenway Sports Group has agreed to sell a roughly 30% stake in Liverpool FC to a new investment consortium fronted by the Amazon founder, in a deal that values the reigning Premier League champions at just over $7 billion and hands the buyers an option to take majority control within the next year.

The consortium, known as 1892 Holdings after Liverpool's founding year, is led by businessman Amit Bhatia, the son-in-law of steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, whose family trusts are among the investors. Bezos is participating as the lead investor behind K5 Global, which CNBC reported is contributing more than $1 billion — the single largest slice of the roughly $7.1 billion minority investment. Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin and his wife, Elaine, are also part of the group through their family office, EE Capital.

FSG Keeps the Keys — For Now

Fenway Sports Group, which bought Liverpool in 2010, will retain majority ownership and day-to-day operational control of the club for now. But the new investors have secured an option to become Liverpool's controlling owners at a valuation of roughly $8 billion within the next 12 months — a structure that could eventually hand Bezos and his partners the keys to one of the world's most valuable sports franchises.

"AS WE CONSIDERED THIS OPPORTUNITY, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT AMIT AND THE CONSORTIUM SHARED OUR LONG-TERM PHILOSOPHY AND APPRECIATION FOR WHAT MAKES LIVERPOOL SPECIAL."

That's how FSG president Mike Gordon described the deal, adding that the consortium's "experience and perspective will complement the strong foundation already in place." The sale marks Bezos's first significant investment in professional sports — a category increasingly popular with tech billionaires — and comes despite FSG having publicly dismissed prior takeover interest, including reported interest from Elon Musk, as recently as this year.

The timing is notable: Liverpool enters the new season off a turbulent stretch. Manager Arne Slot, who led the club to its 20th league title in his first season in charge, left "with immediate effect" in May after a difficult follow-up campaign, and longtime forward Mohamed Salah departed on July 1 after his relationship with Slot reportedly broke down. Chief executive Michael Edwards also exited in July. The investment arrives as the club looks to stabilize both on the pitch and in the boardroom.

Deal reporting from Forbes and Sportico both put the headline valuation at just over $7 billion, up sharply from the roughly $5.9 billion figure floated when talks were first reported in early August — underscoring how quickly interest, and price, escalated once Bezos's involvement became public. Neither Bezos nor Amazon has issued an extensive public statement on the investment beyond confirming his participation through the consortium.

For Liverpool supporters, the more immediate question is what outside ownership means for transfer spending and ticket prices — recurring flashpoints under FSG's tenure, which delivered two Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy but also drew criticism for a cautious approach to the transfer market. 1892 Holdings has not detailed its plans for the club beyond the terms of the equity purchase.