Jeff Bezos and Jay-Z plan to bid on Washington Commanders

Dan Snyder and the Commanders already have a hit offer.

The partnership between Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and hip-hop mogul Jay-Z will make a formal joint offer to buy the team in January, according to people with knowledge of the situation.

The duo’s interest first surfaced on Thursday, as TMZ announced their potential for the deal to come together. Just a day before, Snyder had taken a colossal step toward selling the Commanders, something he long refused to do, by hiring Bank of America Securities to help « consider possible transactions. » He told The Associated Press the team was « exploring all options ».

Bezos and Jay-Z have been longtime friends, and Jay-Z spent time aboard Bezos’ yacht in September. Jay-Z sings that he can « sell water to a whale ». Bezos will now use that ability to sell his offer to both Snyder and the NFL, as the team already has four interested potential suitors, according to Forbes.

Snyder has been embroiled in endless controversies as a landlord — including allegations of sexual misconduct, a toxic workplace, and his relationship with other landlords. His decision to explore selling the team is an about-face from his recent sentiment when he remained firmly in ownership. This reflects his public 180 when it comes to the team name, when he first refused to change derogatory « Redskins » before doing so in 2020.

Snyder has owned the team since 1999, when he bought it for $800 million. Forbes currently values ​​the team at $5.6 billion, which would break the record for most expensive NFL team. The Broncos’ $4.65 billion sale over the summer is currently holding its own.

Bezos, with an estimated net worth of $114 billion as the fourth richest person in the world, already owns The Washington Post locally. On top of that, he has already started developing in the NFL. Amazon’s Prime Video is in the middle of its first season exclusively airing « Thursday Night Football, » which it secured on an 11-year, $11 billion deal. He also shelled out to acquire Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit for the show.

In the midst of a legendary music career, winning 24 Grammy Awards, Jay-Z founded Roc Nation, a full-service entertainment company that also represents athletes and entertainers. With an estimated net worth of $1.3 billion, Jay-Z has been in an entertainment and social venture partnership with the NFL since 2019. Notably, Jay-Z became the first hip-hop artist to become a billionaire.