Jeff Bezos doesn’t plan on adding the Boston Celtics to his empire after all.
According to the tech outlet The Information, the Amazon founder and executive chairman is not interested in buying the NBA franchise. For now, this throws cold water on a claim this week from media personality Bill Simmons—one that was pushed throughout sports media—saying Bezos would toss his name in the ring to bid on the Celtics after Wyc Grousbeck’s July announcement that he will be selling the team.
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 all U.S. pro teams.
On Aug. 8, the Celtics retained JPMorgan Chase and BDT & MSD to facilitate the sale of the franchise. Grousbeck previously said that he wants the sale to happen in two phases, 51% now and the remainder in 2028, with the provision that he remains in control until the second phase closes. Grousbeck is motivated to sell the team due to family estate planning.
This is not the first time Bezos has been connected with the sale of a pro sports team. He considered buying the NFL’s Washington Commanders when now-former owner Daniel Snyder was embroiled in controversies that put pressure on him to finally sell the team. The Washington Post, which Bezos purchased for $250 million in 2013, published multiple articles that detailed frequent incidents during Snyder’s ownership of sexual harassment within the team’s offices. In February 2023, it was reported that Snyder refused to include Bezos in the sale process. The Commanders were bought by Josh Harris that spring.
Bezos’ current net worth is $197.3 billion, making him the second-richest person in the world behind Elon Musk.