LeBron James had been a stakeholder at Liverpool FC for over a decade, with his involvement at the Premier League outfit having proved a lucrative venture
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James’ sprawling business empire included a stake at Premier League club Liverpool FC for over ten years. His involvement with the legendary club turned out to be quite profitable and he hefty profit after swapping his share in Anfield for a stake in club owners Fenway Sports Group.
The four-time NBA champion, who is 38 years old, had a 2% share in the six-time European champions after he purchased this stake with his business partner Maverick Carter in April 2011. He paid $6.5 million (£4.7 million) for this portion but traded these shares in March 2022.
Last year’s deal between James, Carter and Paul Wachter means that they now have an estimated 1% share in the wider FSG company, with this stake worth an estimated $44 million (£38.3 million). FSG, based in Boston, also owns the Boston Red Sox, their famous Fenway Park stadium and NHL team the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Alongside this, FSG owns Roush Fenway Racing, as well as 80% of the New England Sports Network. In late 2023, FSG also started talks with the PGA Tour about investing amid plans for the America-based golf tour’s planned merger with LIV Golf.
LeBron James has made several visits to Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium to watch games (Image: Getty)
LeBron’s role at Anfield is less clear these days, especially in light of his recent deal with FSG. However, he did lend his name to the club’s high-profile clothing line collaboration with Nike earlier in 2023 and has been seen arriving at LA Lakers games wearing Liverpool merchandise recently.
In a 2021 chat with The Athletic, Reds chairman Tom Werner spoke about LeBron James’ role at the club. He said: “I will be surprised actually if they don’t weigh in (on management decisions) I would welcome their thoughts. I think that the relationship that the consumer has with a sporting team is an emotional one.
“We have a very collaborative relationship, so I would actually say that their wisdom and their experience is going to be hugely helpful to us going forward.
“I will be surprised actually if they don’t weigh in (on management decisions) I would welcome their thoughts. I think that the relationship that the consumer has with a sporting team is an emotional one.
We have a very collaborative relationship, so I would actually say that their wisdom and their experience is going to be hugely helpful to us going forward,” he added, referring to James and Carter.
Werner also told Boston radio station WEEI in 2021 that NBA legend James’ expertise is used because of his transferable skills as a sportsman. He explained: “He’s just going to be a resource for players and player psychology, he’s not going to be making any line-up decisions or anything like that.”
Furthermore, Werner hinted that FSG consults James on Liverpool’s media image, praising the basketball star’s business savvy. James and Maverick Carter set up the SpringHill Company film production firm, which counts Serena Williams among its board members.
The Liverpool FC and Red Sox chairman stated: “LeBron and Maverick are smart people, they run a media company that is a juggernaut,” praising the company’s success since its launch in 2020. “They’ve got great relationships, from Nike to Disney to Amazon. They’ll be a resource as so many of our partners are.”
