LeBron James' Liverpool FC stake and how it came about as the club is put up for sale: All you need to know
NBA superstar LeBron James' Liverpool FC ties have been in the limelight ever since it was announced that the English Premier League club is up for sale. LeBron James' bought his stake in Liverpool FC in 2011. Ever since then, LeBron James has been a minority owner of the club.
Liverpool is one of the biggest footballing clubs in the world and is arguably the most successful club in English history. The football club is owned by Fenway Sports Group (FSG). However, FSG officially put out a statement stating that they are putting the club up for sale.
The investment group brought LFC in 2011 and ever since then, Liverpool have had a great run. FSG is principally owned by John W. Henry, who was one of two founders alongside chairman Tom Werner. The English club stuck gold when they hired one of the world's most sought after managers Jurgen Club back in 2015.
Under his management, the club won the Premier League title for the first time under FSG's ownership. Additionally, the club won the UEFA Champions League title and made a couple of finals appearances as well.
LeBron James' stake in Liverpool FC
LeBron James is one of the most successful superstars in NBA history. The "Kid from Akron" has made a lot of money during his NBA career and as such has also ventured into various investment opportunities.
One of his most successful investments has been his investment in Liverpool FC. LeBron James purchased a 2% share in the club in 2011 from the Fenway Sports Group, who had acquired the team in 2010 for $480 million. However, his deal did not mean that he invested his money.
LeBron James and FSG signed a unique deal which allowed FSG to use LeBron James' name in pitching marketing deals, receive royalties on the deals and to include them in their portfolio. In return, LeBron James, along with his longtime business partner Maverick Carter, received a minority stake in LFC.
LeBron James' business partner Maverick Carter said this back in 2021:
"Working with Fenway Sports Group for the past decade has taught LeBron and me so much about the business on a global scale, and we've always believed it would lead to something bigger."
How LeBron James became a part of Fenway Sports Group
With his investments in Liverpool FC going well and their association doing well, LeBron James and his business partner Maverick Carter decided to buy a stake in Fenway Sports Group.
The duo achieved this by exchanging their minority stake in LFC for an 1% stake in FSG. Later on, FSG revealed that the duo's stake increased in the franchise after their buy-in into the investment group. FSG also owns the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB) and Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL).
LeBron James' association with FSG is focused on a singular end goal and that is to eventually own an NBA team. LeBron James has always made it clear that he wants to own an NBA team soon. With FSG already investing in sports teams around the world, the investment group might be able to swoop in on a NBA team if the league decides to undergo an expansion.