Billionaire Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and owner of the Washington Post, has been sidelined from the private auction to purchase the Washington Commanders, according to sources close to the situation.
This is despite his interest in participating and worth of over $100 billion. However, an unidentified bidder came close to Snyder’s $6 billion cutoff with an offer of around $5.5 billion, which was also similar to the amount offered by Josh Harris, the owner of the 76ers and Devils.
Snyder, the current owner of the Washington Commanders, has held a grudge against Bezos since the Washington Post published several exposes accusing Snyder of enabling sex harassment at the NFL franchise.
The reports led to the NFL pressuring Snyder to sell the team, which he purchased for $800 million in 1999. But Snyder may decide to maintain his grip on Washington since he did not get his asking price of $6 billion.
Meanwhile, Bezos has been quietly stalking the sales process and hired an investment bank to explore a bid for the team this week.
However, the reality is that he has been working with Allen & Co. for months and has been interested in purchasing the team for a while. Sources close to the situation suggest that he wants to say to the NFL, “don’t let them say we weren’t here.” NFL owners may yet pressure Snyder to sell to Bezos, which would raise the value of all teams.
A decision on whether Snyder will finally walk away from the team he rooted for as a child is expected by the annual owners’ meeting, which begins on March 26.
According to a source closely watching the sale, “He’s an ass and he may not want to give it up.” It remains to be seen whether Snyder will sell the team or not, but the bids so far have fallen short of his expectations.
In the high-stakes world of sports team ownership, this sale of the Washington Commanders has garnered a lot of attention, especially since Bezos, one of the richest people in the world, has expressed interest in buying the team.
The drama surrounding Snyder and Bezos has only added to the excitement. With the deadline for bids having passed and the annual owners’ meeting fast approaching, the fate of the Washington Commanders hangs in the balance.
Will Snyder sell the team to Bezos, or will he hold on to it despite the lower-than-expected bids? Only time will tell.
