BOSTON — The bidding process for the Celtics could feature one of the wealthiest men on Earth.
Jeff Bezos, the billionaire founder of Amazon, has been rumored as a potential buyer for Boston’s storied NBA franchise, according to The Ringer’s Bill Simmons.
“In the last few days, there’s been some, I think, legitimate buzz about Jeff Bezos buying the Celtics, and I think it’s real,” Simmons said on an episode of his podcast released Monday. “I think he’s going to be one of the suitors. … I think it’s real that he’s potentially in the mix for this.”
Simmons said he’s heard the NBA wants the Celtics to fetch a purchase price of $6 billion, which would shatter the league’s current record for the sale of a franchise (Mat Ishbia paid $4 billion for the Phoenix Suns in 2023).
“They want the $6 billion because they want expansion teams in Seattle and Vegas,” Simmons said. “… They want to get $6 billion apiece for the two franchises for expansion, which would mean a check for $400 million to every NBA owner — all 30. They’re trying to establish a price with this Celtics team.”
The latest estimate from Forbes pegged the Celtics’ value at $4.7 billion. But that was last October, before a dominant season and an 18th NBA championship that surely boosted the team’s price tag.
Within weeks of Boston’s championship parade, Wyc Grousbeck announced his family would be selling its controlling stake in the Celtics for “estate and family planning purposes.” The team intends to complete the sale in two parts: a majority interest by early 2025 and the remaining shares in 2028, with Grousbeck remaining on as governor until the latter is finalized.
The Celtics later retained BDT &MSD Partners and J.P. Morgan as co-advisors for the sale. It’s unclear if any suitors have officially made offers.