In 2011, James bought a 0.2% stake in Liverpool for 6.5 million yuan. How much is it worth the sale now?

James will definitely be the first to say that the player with the strongest money-making ability in the NBA. Not only is his total salary ranked first in history, he also has a lifetime contract worth $1 billion in Nike and endorsement contracts for many well-known brands such as McDonald's and Coca-Cola. In addition, James is also a very business-minded athlete. He is involved in catering, sports, entertainment and other fields, and can get tens of millions of dollars every year by dividends alone. In 2011, James made a seemingly ordinary but very forward-looking decision at the time - he bought a 0.2% stake in Liverpool for US$6.5 million and became the team's small boss. So, is James' investment now profitable or lose money? Let’s take a look together below.

In 2011, Liverpool boss John Henry took a fancy to James' huge influence and attention and sold 0.2% of the team's shares to James at a "friendly price" of 6.5 million US dollars. Although Liverpool had a brilliant history at that time, it was also experiencing a trough period and the team's market value was not very high. However, James knew the keen eye and saw the huge potential and commercial value behind Liverpool.

After this, Liverpool won the Champions League championship in 2019 and the Premier League championship in 2020. The impressive record and Henry's excellent operations have made the team's market value rise.

According to a report by a sports industry research agency, Liverpool's market value reached US$4.14 billion in 2021, second only to Manchester United among Premier League clubs. Just two years have passed, Liverpool's market value has increased significantly again, reaching US$4.83 billion in 2023, reaching US$5.6 billion in 2024, and as of 2025, Liverpool's market value was approximately US$6 billion.

The value of 0.2% of James' shares has also risen, now reaching about US$120 million. This means that James' $6.5 million investment has increased by nearly 20 times after fourteen years.

However, this is just a valuation and if James chooses to sell it, the transaction price may be higher. Liverpool's outstanding performance in recent years, including its excellent results in the Champions League and Premier League, further enhancing the team's market value. In addition, Liverpool's business operations have also been quite successful, attracting many sponsors and fans, and increasing the team's revenue and popularity.

In fact, James' investment in Liverpool is just one of his many successful investment cases. His business empire is still expanding, and his personal assets have reached US$1.85 billion, making him the richest among all active basketball players, second only to Jordan, the "God of Basketball". As James' career approaches the end, he will inevitably make great strides in the business field in the future. Perhaps in the future, James will buy an NBA team like Jordan to further expand his business territory.