1892 Holdings is buying a minority equity stake in Liverpool F.C. from Fenway Sports Group. FSG will keep majority ownership and operational control, so the club is taking in new outside capital without changing who runs it.
1892 Holdings, led and managed by Amit Bhatia, is a consortium that includes investments from Amit Bhatia and the Mittal Family Trusts, K5 Sports, and EE Capital. Bhatia said the group is “incredibly proud to be investing in Liverpool Football Club and to be doing so alongside FSG.”
Mike Gordon on Liverpool FC
Mike Gordon said Liverpool “has always been built by thinking beyond one season and making decisions with the club’s long-term interests in mind.” He added that the club’s leadership saw “Amit and the consortium” as sharing that philosophy, with experience that would “complement the strong foundation already in place.”
That makes the structure of the deal the real story: FSG is bringing in minority investors while keeping control. The consortium partners will work with FSG and the club’s leadership team to evaluate opportunities that enhance Liverpool’s objectives on and off the pitch, which points to a mandate wider than passive ownership.
£1.65bn Liverpool F
£1.65bn is the price tag attached to the wider ownership transaction as the club draws in a new class of backers. Jeff Bezos is the lead investor in the K5 Sports fund, and EE Capital is the family office of Elaine and Eduardo Saverin, placing the deal within a larger network of investors connected through 1892 Holdings.
Corestone Capital Advisors introduced the parties and facilitated their engagement in connection with the transaction. Allen Overy Shearman Sterling LLP served as legal advisor to FSG and the club, while Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal advisor to 1892 Holdings, with support from PricewaterhouseCoopers and Moelis & Company.
Regulatory approvals remain
Closing still depends on regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. Until that happens, the practical effect is straightforward: Liverpool F.C. has a new minority investor group on the table, but FSG remains in charge of the majority stake and the day-to-day control that comes with it.
