Jeff Bezos Reportedly Abandons Months-Long Quest to Buy the Washington Commanders

AP Photo/John Locher, File

Billionaire Jeff Bezos will not place a bid to purchase the Washington Commanders, according to a report from the Bezos-owned Washington Post.

Previous speculation pegged Bezos as the favorite to buy the team from Dan Snyder. Now, with the world’s third-richest person out of the picture, the Harris group is now seen as Commanders’ most-likely buyer. Led by Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils owner Josh Harris, the group also includes Magic Johnson and businessman Mitchell Rales. Another group, led by Canadian businessman Steve Apostolopoulos, has also placed a bid.

An unnamed source in the Post report said Snyder hasn’t notified the NFL that an agreement to sell the team has been reached, but that could change “in the coming weeks.”

On Feb. 23, ESPN’s John Keim reported that Bezos hired an investment firm to look into the possibility of buying the Commanders. A day later, the New York Post revealed that Bezos was barred from placing a bid. The decision had reportedly come from Snyder, who was angered by the Washington Post’s reporting of the team’s issues with sexual harassment. According to the report, Bezos had known for months Snyder would not sell to him, but he still hired the firm in the event that the door would be opened.

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