After all, it looks like Jeff Bezos has no plans to add the Boston Celtics to his empire.
According to tech publication The Information, Amazon founder and chairman Bezos has no interest in buying an NBA franchise, putting a damper on claims made across sports media this week when media personality Bill Simmons said Bezos would put his name forward to buy the Celtics after Wyck Grousbeck announced his intention to sell the team in July.
The Celtics, who won their 18th NBA championship in June, are valued at $5.12 billion, according to Sportico, fourth in the league and 21st among U.S. professional teams.
On August 8, the Celtics hired JPMorgan Chase & Co. and BDT & MSD to facilitate the sale of the franchise. Grousbeck had previously said he wanted the sale to take place in two stages, acquiring 51% now and the remainder in 2028, with him retaining control until the end of the second stage. Grousbeck’s motivation for selling the team is for family estate planning purposes.
This is not the first time Bezos has been allegedly involved in the sale of a professional sports team. He considered buying the NFL’s Washington Commanders when former owner Daniel Snyder was embroiled in controversy and ultimately pressured to sell the team. The Washington Post, which Bezos bought for $250 million in 2013, published multiple stories detailing frequent sexual harassment incidents within the team’s offices during Snyder’s tenure as owner. In February 2023, it was reported that Snyder had refused to involve Bezos in the sales process. The Commanders were purchased by Josh Harris that spring.
Bezos’ current net worth is $197.3 billion, making him the second-richest person in the world after Elon Musk.