British MP Zarah Sultana Slams Jeff Bezos' 33% Liverpool Takeover

The ownership at Liverpool has had a big shake-up this summer, with Fenway Sports Group (FSG) announcing the sale of a minority equity stake in the Anfield club. In short, this now means that Jeff Bezos has become a co-owner of the Premier League side.

The Amazon founder is part of an investment group, 1982 Holdings, who have purchased around a 33% stake in the Merseyside outfit for around £1.35 billion. Amit Bhatia leads the consortium, with Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin also attached to the project.

Bezos is understood to be the third-richest man on the planet, with a net worth estimated at £207.505bn. This level of wealth comes with ethical questions, especially for a club like Liverpool, which has long represented itself as having a socialist ethos and working-class solidarity once championed by legendary manager Bill Shankly​​​​​​.

British MP Zarah Sultana, who is a member of the socialist political party Your Party, has taken to social media to slam Bezos's investment in Liverpool. In a lengthy statement, which has gone viral on X, she wrote:

"Sickened by the news that Jeff Bezos’ consortium has bought roughly a third of Liverpool Football Club. Many fans have rightly focused on Amazon’s anti-union practices, its treatment of workers, and the fear that Liverpool will become just another asset in a billionaire’s portfolio. Those concerns are real. But there is something even darker at the heart of this deal."

She then went on to explain how Amazon has ties to an AI service which helps aid Israel's genocide in Palestine. Questioning how this reflects on a club which is supposed to have such strong social values, Sultana wrote:

"Amazon is a central partner in Project Nimbus, providing cloud and AI services to the Israeli state. While Israel carries out a genocide against the Palestinian people, Amazon’s technology helps underpin the infrastructure that makes it possible. And now that fortune is buying its way into Anfield.

"So ask yourself: what does it mean when a club built on solidarity - a club that stood with the Hillsborough families against the establishment, that has always claimed to stand with the oppressed, that prides itself on being different - welcomes investment from a man whose empire is entwined with Israel’s system of occupation, apartheid and genocide?"

She concluded: "Liverpool is more than a business, it’s a community. Supporters have a voice. We’ve used it before: against the Super League, against ticket price hikes and against owners who forgot what this club stands for. We MUST use it again."

Clause Means 1982 Holdings Could Complete Full Liverpool Takeover in Near Future

For those Liverpool fans who agree with Sultana's point of view, it will be concerning to learn about a key clause within the deal. As per The Athletic, there is a mechanism which could allow Bezos and co to complete a full takeover of the Premier League club in the next 12 months.

It's worth noting that it is just an option, and not an obligation, and there is no guarantee that the clause will be triggered in the next year. But many will find the plausible possibility of a total takeover very worrying.

Liverpool supporters' group Spirit of Shankly have asked for more clarity on the changes in ownership. A statement explained concerns: "As Liverpool supporters, we need zero reminder of the importance of good governance and club ownership. We trust that the current owners FSG realise this, and have carried out their own due diligence because we as supporters will most certainly do our own.

"It’s important we take time to understand fully the long-term implications this deal will have for our club’s ownership and at the same time what it doesn’t mean – wild speculation about transfers and spending helps no one. It is vital for the game in general that football clubs are run sustainably, as LFC has been, and not an arms race funded by mega-rich individuals or state-backed entities."

The group have also reached out to the Independent Football Regulator for advice.

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