Jeff Bezos
Photographer: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
Jeff Bezos is interested in bidding for the NFL’s Washington Commanders, possibly with music mogul Jay-Z as an investor, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Billionaires Dan and Tanya Snyder said Wednesday that they’re exploring options including a sale of the Commanders, weeks after facing renewed pressure to step down. The team and its owners hired Bank of America Corp. to “consider potential transactions.”
Read more: Dan Snyder’s Washington Commanders Hire BofA to Weigh Sale
Should Bezos, 58, enter the sweepstakes for the Commanders and apply his $115 billion personal fortune, it would be hard for other bidders to compete. He’s the world’s fourth-richest person, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index
The Commanders, which last finished with a winning record in 2016, have an estimated value of about $4.8 billion, according to Sportico. At that price, it would exceed the $4.65 billion that a group led by Rob Walton paid for the NFL’s Denver Broncos earlier this year.
A Commanders representative declined to comment on Bezos’s interest.
Buying Spree
Bezos, the founder of Amazon.com Inc., has been on a buying spree in recent years. In early 2020 he agreed to pay $165 million for a Beverly Hills mansion on nine acres, setting a record for a Los Angeles-area home. He also commissioned a 417-foot-long superyacht, which likely cost more than $500 million to build and drew scrutiny earlier this year for almost forcing the dismantling of a Dutch bridge.
Jay-Z, 52, whose real name is Shawn Carter, was formerly a minority owner of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets.
Amazon, meanwhile, is weeks into an 11-year, $13 billion deal that makes it the exclusive home of the NFL’s “Thursday Night Football.” Its first regular-season broadcast drew 13 million viewers to its streaming service, delivering an online audience that rivals traditional TV.
Read more: Amazon Breaches TV’s Last Stronghold With $13 Billion Bet on NFL
TMZ earlier reported the potential interest, as did the Washington Post, which is owned by Bezos.
— With assistance by Kamaron Leach
