Finance expert suggests Jeff Bezos is getting involved with Liverpool as a ‘vanity purchase’
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One football finance expert has claimed that Jeff Bezos’ primary motivation for investing in Liverpool Football Club is not ‘for the money’, but rather as a ‘vanity project’.The Amazon founder is part of a consortium led and managed by Amit Bhatia which purchased a minority stake in LFC last week, subsequently reported to comprise 38% of the club’s overall value.That new investment has prompted supporters group Spirit of Shankly to raise a number of concerns over what it means for the future of the Merseyside club, including whether the investors are coming on board with a view to a full takeover from current owners FSG.Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has claimed that Bezos has come on board in order to enhance his personal image and help Amazon to expand into new markets.Maguire: Bezos views LFC as a ‘vanity purchase’He told Riath Al-Samarrai of the Daily Mail: “Bezos isn’t in it for the money because even if he makes $500m out of this himself, it’s not going to move the dial for him.“It’s about the kudos, I think. It’s about being able to own a room in a different way at a cocktail party.
Everybody in that set has an apartment in Manhattan, a yacht, there’s only 20 football clubs in the Premier League and there’s only one Liverpool. They’re looking to expand into international markets under the cost control rules, and where are the growth opportunities?“Answer A is the United States.
Hello, Mr [Lakshmi] Mittal [steel magnate and Bhatia’s father-in law]“I think there is the opportunity there to use the knowledge of those individuals to enable Liverpool to extract further commercial income, to tap into their networks, to tap into their expertise.“As for Bezos personally, my gut reaction is that it’s a vanity purchase, but as a secondary thought, he will want to expand Amazon into new markets, and having an involvement with an iconic club will help.”Want more Empire of the Kop coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trustIf true, Bezos is horribly out of touch with Liverpool’s fan baseIf Maguire’s feeling that Bezos views his investment in Liverpool FC as a self-serving ‘vanity project’ is accurate, then pass us the sick bucket, please.That theory would substantiate the worries of Reds supporters who fear that the 62-year-old would be completely alien to the core values of the club’s fan base, whilst also expressing concerns over a lack of transparency about crucial aspects of the investment from 1892 Holdings (such as how hands-on a role the Amazon founder would have).As a proudly socialist and working-class city, many of those who hold LFC dear in their hearts lead rather different lives to that of a man who Maguire suggested may view their beloved club as nothing more than a ‘trophy asset’ to brag about at a cocktail party with other billionaires.If that’s indeed how Bezos regards one of the most historic sporting institutions in the world, the idea of him being involved in what could potentially be majority control of the club is even more frightening than we initially thought.The 62-year-old is notorious for horror stories of the contempt and disdain with which employees at his businesses have been treated by him, and that isn’t a man who we want getting involved in Liverpool Football Club.We can only hope that our worst fears prove to be unfounded, but judging by Maguire’s expertly informed theory, Jeff Bezos could not give one damn about the values of those who support the football club in which he’s now invested.