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close video Jeff Bezos’ possible Commanders bid could make Dan Snyder the $6 billion man

FOX Business’ Charlie Gasparino reports billionaire Jeff Bezos could be eyeing the NFL’s Washington Commanders on ‘The Claman Countdown.’

Dan Snyder, the embattled owner of the Washington Commanders, bought the NFL team in 1999 for a then-record of $800 million. He and his advisers are now confident he can sell it for $6 billion or possibly more, people with direct knowledge of the matter tell Fox Business.

The reason? Jeff Bezos.

JEFF BEZOS THE FAVORITE WITH DAN SNYDER'S FIRM $6 BILLION WASHINGTON COMMANDERS ASK

 As Fox Business was first to report, Bezos, the Amazon founder worth $125 billion, is not being summarily rejected by Snyder as a bidder for the famed sports franchise (formerly known as the Washington Redskins) despite media reports to the contrary. In fact, people close to Snyder have reached out to Bezos' reps, saying the rumors of bad blood are way overblown. Snyder would welcome a Bezos bid, people with direct knowledge of the matter say. 

Team co-owners Dan and Tanya Snyder pose for a photo with former team members during the announcement of the Washington Football Team’s name change to the Washington Commanders at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, on Feb. 2, 2022. (Rob Carr/Getty Images / Getty Images)

It is for obvious reasons: If Bezos pays at least $6 billion for the team, Snyder would have produced a 650% return on the sale compared to 220.2% return in the stock market during that time. Not bad. 

Bezos, Fox Business has learned, has expressed interest in owning the Commanders, as both he and his girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez, are big football fans. He is no longer the CEO and running the day-to-day operations of Amazon (he remains chairman). He has hired bankers to explore a bid, but hasn’t yet bid. Bezos was put off when media reports surfaced that said Snyder wouldn’t sell to him over ill will because of the coverage of the Bezos-owned Washington Post about sexual misconduct allegations that have swirled around management of the team. 

The NFL is investigating, and Snyder has denied any wrongdoing.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS: HOW DID THEY KEEP THE NEW NAME SECRET FOR SO LONG?

The reports prompted a Snyder rep to make contact with someone in the Bezos camp to tell them that the Snyder understands Bezos doesn’t control the Post’s editorial coverage, people with direct knowledge of the matter first told Fox Business. On Wednesday, several media outlets reported that Bezos and Snyder have spoken, though the details of their conversation could not be determined.

Jeff Bezos and his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez leave The Court restaurant in Rome, Italy. (Ciao Pix / Shutterstock / SplashNews.com)

So, will Bezos pull the trigger? A rep didn’t return an email for comment. A spokesperson for the Commanders had no comment. 

The thinking among NFL sources goes something like this: Once all the bids are in, that’s when Bezos might make his move and top the offers. So far, only a few potential bidders have emerged who can meet Snyder’s demands for a deal that’s around $6 billion. They include former Apollo Management founder Josh Harris of Harris Blitzer Sports Entertainment, which owns the Philadephia 76ers, among other sports franchises. Another bidder, Tilman Fertitta, owner of the Houston Rockets, is said to be offering around $5.5 billion.

Some NFL sources are dubious if Harris’ $6 billion is as firm as has been leaked (Harris Blitzer didn’t return a call for comment), given league requirements for equity, etc. Bezos, given his enormous net worth, can easily shell out that type of money and meet the NFL’s strict requirements that demand significant equity in any bid, and a limit on minority owners. With Bezos in the game, Harris might also be forced to bid a higher amount, these people add.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS ‘ENGAGED IN FINANCIAL IMPROPRIETIES,’ US ATTORNEY'S OFFICE INVESTIGATING: REPORT

Then there’s the mercurial Snyder. He’s sounding like he wants to sell, but people close to him say it’s his choice. The sexual harassment allegations around the team, they say, have a political taint since the congressional investigation that sparked the NFL probe was conducted largely by the then Democratic House majority, and Snyder is a Republican. His people say they are confident the league probe will show he has done nothing wrong. 

A general view of a section of stadium seats with the Washington Commanders logo before the game between the Commanders and the Cleveland Browns at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, on Jan. 1, 2023. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Snyder now runs the team with his wife Tanya, and together they have overhauled management. There is more than a possibility that Snyder could decide to keep a team that he loves if the NFL probe isn’t a problem. He is, after all, a longtime fan, having grown up in the D.C. area, and he desperately wants to win a Super Bowl.

But people close to Snyder, 57, say he also knows life is too short. He has a great life and a family. Meanwhile, the D.C. fan base is growing hostile to his ownership since the franchise, known for winning multiple Super Bowls in the 1980s and 1990s, has yet to win since he took over nearly a quarter-century ago.

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Also, $6 billion-plus is a hard number to walk away from, which is why Snyder has no problem with the Bezos bid.

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Politics

Norman Tebbit: Former Tory minister who served in Margaret Thatcher’s government dies aged 94

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Norman Tebbit: Former Tory minister who served in Margaret Thatcher's government dies aged 94

Norman Tebbit, the former Tory minister who served in Margaret Thatcher’s government, has died at the age of 94.

Lord Tebbit died “peacefully at home” late on Monday night, his son William confirmed.

One of Mrs Thatcher’s most loyal cabinet ministers, he was a leading political voice throughout the turbulent 1980s.

He held the posts of employment secretary, trade secretary, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Conservative party chairman before resigning as an MP in 1992 after his wife was left disabled by the Provisional IRA’s bombing of the Grand Hotel in Brighton.

He considered standing for the Conservative leadership after Mrs Thatcher’s resignation in 1990, but was committed to taking care of his wife.

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and party chairman Norman Tebbit.
Pic: PA
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Margaret Thatcher and Norman Tebbit in 1987 after her election victory. Pic: PA

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch called him an “icon” in British politics and was “one of the leading exponents of the philosophy we now know as Thatcherism”.

“But to many of us it was the stoicism and courage he showed in the face of terrorism, which inspired us as he rebuilt his political career after suffering terrible injuries in the Brighton bomb, and cared selflessly for his wife Margaret, who was gravely disabled in the bombing,” she wrote on X.

“He never buckled under pressure and he never compromised. Our nation has lost one of its very best today and I speak for all the Conservative family and beyond in recognising Lord Tebbit’s enormous intellect and profound sense of duty to his country.

“May he rest in peace.”

Lord Tebbit and his wife Margaret stand outside the Grand Hotel in Brighton.
Pic: PA
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Lord Tebbit and his wife Margaret stand outside the Grand Hotel in Brighton. Pic: PA

Tory grandee David Davis told Sky News Lord Tebbit was a “great working class Tory, always ready to challenge establishment conventional wisdom for the bogus nonsense it often was”.

“He was one of Thatcher’s bravest and strongest lieutenants, and a great friend,” Sir David said.

“He had to deal with the agony that the IRA visited on him and his wife, and he did so with characteristic unflinching courage. He was a great man.”

Reform leader Nigel Farage said Lord Tebbit “gave me a lot of help in my early days as an MEP”.

He was “a great man. RIP,” he added.

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher with Employment Secretary Norman Tebbit.
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Lord Tebbit as employment secretary in 1983 with Mrs Thatcher. Pic: PA

Born to working-class parents in north London, he was made a life peer in 1992, where he sat until he retired in 2022.

Lord Tebbit was trade secretary when he was injured in the Provisional IRA’s bombing in Brighton during the Conservative Party conference in 1984.

Five people died in the attack and Lord Tebbit’s wife, Margaret, was left paralysed from the neck down. She died in 2020 at the age of 86.

Before entering politics, his first job, aged 16, was at the Financial Times where he had his first experience of trade unions and vowed to “break the power of the closed shop”.

He then trained as a pilot with the RAF – at one point narrowly escaping from the burning cockpit of a Meteor 8 jet – before becoming the MP for Epping in 1970 then for Chingford in 1974.

Norman Tebbit during the debate on the second reading of the European Communities (Amendment) Bill, in the House of Lords.
Pic: PA
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Lord Tebbit during an EU debate in the House of Lords in 1997. Pic: PA

As a cabinet minister, he was responsible for legislation that weakened the powers of the trade unions and the closed shop, making him the political embodiment of the Thatcherite ideology that was in full swing.

His tough approach was put to the test when riots erupted in Brixton, south London, against the backdrop of high rates of unemployment and mistrust between the black community and the police.

He was frequently misquoted as having told the unemployed to “get on your bike”, and was often referred to as “Onyerbike” for some time afterwards.

What he actually said was he grew up in the ’30s with an unemployed father who did not riot, “he got on his bike and looked for work, and he kept looking till he found it”.

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Politics

‘Oui’ or ‘non’ for Starmer’s migration deal?

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'Oui' or 'non' for Starmer's migration deal?

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The first European state visit since Brexit starts today as President Emmanuel Macron arrives at Windsor Castle.

On this episode, Sky News’ Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy look at what’s on the agenda beyond the pomp and ceremony. Will the government get its “one in, one out” migration deal over the line?

Plus, which one of our presenters needs to make a confession about the 2008 French state visit?

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Benjamin Netanyahu nominates Donald Trump for Nobel Peace Prize – as Gaza ceasefire talks continue

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Benjamin Netanyahu nominates Donald Trump for Nobel Peace Prize - as Gaza ceasefire talks continue

Israel’s prime minister has nominated Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Benjamin Netanyahu made the announcement at a White House dinner, handing over the letter for the US president to read.

“Coming from you in particular, this is very meaningful,” Mr Trump said.

The Israeli leader said Mr Trump was “forging peace as we speak, and one country and one region after the other”.

Organisers award the prize to the person who does the most for “fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses”.

Benjamin Netanyahu showed President Trump the Nobel nomination letter. Pic: AP
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Benjamin Netanyahu handed Donald Trump the Nobel nomination letter. Pic: AP

Mr Trump took credit for stopping Iran and Israel‘s “12-day war” last month, announcing it with fanfare on Truth Social, and the ceasefire has so far held.

The president has claimed US strikes obliterated Iran’s purported nuclear weapons programme – and that the country now wants to restart negotiations.

“We have scheduled Iran talks, and they want to,” Mr Trump told reporters on Monday. “They want to talk.”

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Iran hasn’t confirmed the move, but its president told US broadcaster Tucker Carlson he believes his country can resolve differences with the US through dialogue.

Masoud Pezeshkian also said Iran would be willing to resume cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.

However, he said full access to nuclear sites wasn’t yet possible as US strikes had damaged them so badly.

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Netanyahu arrives in US for ceasefire talks

Away from Iran, fighting continues in Gaza and Ukraine.

Mr Trump famously boasted before his second stint in the White House that he could end the Ukraine war in 24 hours.

The reality has been very different – with Ukraine saying last week that Russia unleashed the heaviest aerial attack of the war so far.

Critics have also claimed Vladimir Putin is “playing” his US counterpart and that he has no intention of agreeing a ceasefire.

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Russia bombards Ukraine with drones and missiles

However, Mr Trump could try to take credit for progress in Gaza if – as he’s suggested – an agreement on a 60-day ceasefire is done this week.

Indirect negotiations with Hamas are taking place that could lead to the release of some of the remaining 50 Israeli hostages and a surge in aid to Gaza.

The White House said Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is travelling to Qatar this week to try to seal the agreement.

Read more:
Israeli soldier describes arbitrary killing of civilians in Gaza

IDF troops ‘psychologically broken’ after Gaza – UN expert

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‘Some Israeli commanders can decide to do war crimes’

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Whether a temporary pause could open a path to a lasting peace remains uncertain, with the two sides’ criteria for peace still far apart.

Mr Netanyahu has said Hamas must surrender, disarm and leave Gaza – something it refuses to do.

He also told reporters on Monday that the US and Israel were working with other countries who would give Palestinians “a better future” – and indicated those in Gaza could move elsewhere.

“If people want to stay, they can stay, but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave,” he added.

“We’ve had great cooperation from… surrounding countries, great cooperation from every single one of them. So something good will happen,” Mr Trump said.

The president was widely criticised earlier this year when he suggested resettling Gaza’s population to countries such as Jordan and Egypt and turning it into the “Riviera of the Middle East”.

Human rights groups said the plan amounted to ethnic cleansing and most Gazans said they would never consider leaving.

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