NBA superstar LeBron James' investment in Liverpool Football Club in 2011 has proven extremely profitable.
James bought 2% of the club's shares that year for 5.6 million euros, a move that is now worth dozens of times more.
At the time, Forbes valued Liverpool at around €473m, and James' stake reflected a small stake in a club with big prospects.
Today, the club's value is around 4.1 billion euros, meaning that 2% of the shares is worth around 82.3 million euros – an increase of around 1,400% from the basketball star's initial investment.
In 2021, James converted his direct stake in Liverpool into a 1% stake in Fenway Sports Group (FSG), the umbrella company that manages the club. FSG has a rich portfolio of assets, including the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Penguins, making James' investment part of a broader business strategy.
According to Forbes, FSG is valued at €11.1 billion in 2024, meaning LeBron's 1% stake is worth around €111 million - a nearly twenty-fold increase from the initial investment.
The increase in share value is linked to several factors, including Liverpool's sporting successes, including winning its 20th English title last year, strong commercial performance and brand expansion in global markets, particularly in Asia and North America. /telegraph/
