Jay-Z and Jeff Bezos had dinner together Monday night amid reports that the pair are interested in buying the Washington Commanders from embattled owner Daniel Snyder.
TMZ reported last week that a joint bid between the 52-year-old Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter and the 58-year-old Bezos is ‘on the table,’ and plans are evidently in motion as the pair met up Monday.
According to TMZ, Jay-Z and Amazon founder Bezos visited Horses near the Sunset Strip at around 7:30pm, with the latter staying at their table for about two hours, while Carter left around midnight.
The restaurant is usually closed on Monday but the owner opened the doors for the two billionaires and their group.
Partner Lauren Sanchez accompanied Bezos, who left with a small group of other guests, while Kris Jenner’s toyboy boyfriend Corey Gamble was also reportedly seen at the venue.
The meeting comes after news last week that Snyder was considering the franchise, with the longtime owner reportedly seeking more than $7billion for the team.
Bezos and Jay-Z are valued at around $114.5bn and $1.3bn respectively.
Snyder became owner of the team in 1999 and has seen overseen a litany of problems within the franchise, including allegations of a toxic workplace and sexual harassment.
Snyder also resisted calls to change the team’s name for years, as they were formerly known as the Redskins, which is considered offensive to Native Americans
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Jay-Z and Jeff Bezos met on Monday night for two hours in Los Angeles, as the pair had dinner amid reports they want to buy the Washington Commanders together
Bezos’ Amazon is paying $1billion per year for exclusive Thursday Night Football streaming rights for Amazon Prime Video
Bezos was pictured with his partner Lauren Sanchez, who also attended Monday night’s Sunset Boulevard dinner
The team changed their name to the Commanders this year.
If Jay-Z, 52, and Bezos, 58 succeed with a potential bid for the team, they could have company in the form of another A-lister.
Matthew McConaughey was reported to have joined the pair’s efforts last week to buy the franchise, with a source shedding light on the situation to the New York Post.
‘Matthew has always been a huge fan and his ties with the team go way back,’ the they said. ‘They support his foundation and he’s good pals with Dan Snyder — he and [supermodel wife Camilla Alves] were on Dan’s yacht over the Super Bowl last year.’
Despite growing up in Texas, where the rival Cowboys are easily the most popular professional sports team, McConaughey rooted for the Redskins, as they were then known.
According to the Post, McConaughey preferred Washington because star Redskins linebacker Chris Hanburger’s name was nearly the same as his favorite childhood food, hamburgers.
The 57-year-old Snyder already has four interested potential buyers, according to Forbes, and has retained Bank of America to sell the Commanders, the club announced Wednesday.
Bezos, Carter, and McConaughey all have some experience in the sports world.
The Amazon founder has already made an imprint on the NFL, with his company buying exclusive streaming rights to Thursday Night Football for $1billion per season.
Jay-Z formerly owned a minority stake in the Brooklyn Nets, and then founded sports agency Roc Nation sports, which now boasts clients such as LaMelo Ball, Kevin De Bruyne and Saquon Barkley.
Finally, McConaughey is a minority owner of recent expansion MLS side Austin FC, and also holds the title ‘minister of culture’ there as well.
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Jay-Z left the restaurant around midnight, while Bezos and other guests at the dinner stayed two hours at the table
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Lauren had earlier posted an image on her Instagram story of her outfit for the evening with partner Jeff and Jay-Z
There is currently a federal probe into allegations of financial malpractice regarding the Commanders. Previously, attorney generals in Virginia and Washington D.C. announced similar probes into claims that Snyder withheld refundable deposits from ticket holders and hid revenue from NFL teams.
News of a potential sale follows comments from Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay urging the NFL to remove Snyder as Commanders owner. Speaking at last month’s league meetings in New York, Irsay said ‘there’s merit’ to booting Snyder, who ranks as one of the least popular owners in professional sports.
‘I believe there is merit to removing him as owner of the [Commanders],’ Irsay said . ‘There’s consideration that he should be removed.’
He added: ‘I believe in the workplace today, the standard that the (NFL) stands for… that you have to stand for that and to protect that. I just think that once owners talk amongst each other, they’ll arrive to the right decision.
‘Unfortunately, I believe that’s the road we probably need to go down and we just need to finish the investigation. But it’s gravely concerning to me the things that have occurred there over the last 20 years.’ A spokesperson for the Commanders condemned Irsay’s comments as ‘highly inappropriate’.
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The pair met at Horses near the Sunset Strip at around 7:30pm, with Bezos leaving about two hours after arrival