Jeff Bezos Not Interested in Buying Boston Celtics Anymore, Insider Drops Major Bombshell

Boston Celtics is on the market for sale, and according to an insider, Jeff Bezos, who was considered the favorite to buy the franchise, has no interest in it.

By Anshumaan Singh

Published on Aug 21, 2024 | 08:11 PM IST | 43.5K

Jeff Bezos

This week, the Boston Celtics were the talk of the basketball world after Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, reportedly expressed interest in purchasing the team, according to Bill Simmons of The Ringer. Many people were curious about the report's implications, including what it would mean for the second-richest man in the world to own the NBA's most successful team and how it would affect the Celtics' storied traditions.

If Nick Wingfield of The Information is to be believed, then those questions can be answered. According to a person close to the billionaire, Bezos "has no plans to bid" on the Celtics, Wingfield reported on Tuesday.

"Since Monday, sports media has been abuzz about the possibility that the billionaire founder of Amazon was considering making an offer for the team, after podcaster Bill Simmons gave credence to the rumors in an episode of his show," Wingfield wrote. "But according to the person close to Bezos, there's "zero truth" to the idea that Bezos is interested in bidding on the team."

Wingfield is an experienced technology correspondent who has previously covered Bezos and Amazon for WSJ, The New York Times, and The Information. Consequently, his report has merit and probably accurately captures Bezos's interest in acquiring the Celtics. Sportico values the Celtics at $5.12 billion, while multiple insiders estimate that the team could be sold for about $6 billion. That sum would exceed Mat Ishbia's purchase of the Phoenix Suns by almost $2 billion from the previous season.

Jeff Bezos

Bezos was once considered a potential buyer for NFL teams like the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders. Although the Commanders were sold in 2023 for $6.05 billion to an organization led by Josh Harris, the Seahawks' possible sale was postponed because of issues that arose after owner Paul Allen's passing.

Bezos will start working with the NBA in the interim when it televises 66 regular-season games and the in-season tournament's knockout games on Amazon Prime Video in 2025–2026. Based on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Bezos is currently the second wealthiest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $200 billion.

To act as advisors during the bidding process, which is anticipated to be concluded during the upcoming 2024–25 season, the Celtics hired two banks earlier this month: JPMorgan and BDT & MSD Partners.

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