Jeff Bezos is not going to bid on the Washington Commanders, a source close to him said Wednesday, ending a pursuit that struggled to gain any momentum.
Bezos had some interest in buying the franchise, and his presence hovered over the proceedings despite his never having made a bid. He even hired a firm, Allen & Co., to explore a bid.
In March, a source close to Bezos said Commanders owners Dan and Tanya Snyder were blocking him from the bidding, which sources close to the Snyders denied.
Bezos owns The Washington Post, which published several investigative stories over the past three years that led to issues for Snyder and the organization.
Puck News first reported that Bezos, who according to Forbes has a net worth of $125 billion, wasn’t “currently planning” to bid on the team.
Asked if Bezos was going to make a bid, a source close to Bezos told ESPN, “No he’s not.”
Josh Harris, who owns the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils, has submitted an official offer, reported to be around $6 billion, for the Commanders. Harris and one of his limited partners, Mitchell Rales, are both from the Washington area and have a combined net worth of more than $11 billion. Their group includes NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson.
Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos also reportedly submitted a bid, and Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta said on CNBC that he bid $5.6 billion on the Commanders — the Forbes value of the franchise.
“At some point you’ve got to draw a line in the sand and that’s where we are,” Ferttita said. “If they can get somebody to pay them more than that, good luck to them. … I don’t think $6 billion is the right number.”
Three groups toured Washington’s facilities: Harris, Apostolopoulos and an unnamed one.
Source: www.espn.com