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A consortium that includes Jeff Bezos has reached a definitive agreement to purchase a minority stake in Liverpool from majority owners Fenway Sports Group for more than £1.5bn.

1892 Holdings, headed by former Queens Park Rangers director Amit Bhatia and also featuring Amazon owner Bezos and Eduardo Saverin, one of Facebook’s founders, will take a share of between 30 per cent and one-third in the Premier League club.

FSG will keep operational control and continue to oversee the club’s day-to-day running, with no change to Liverpool’s leadership. John W Henry will remain principal owner, Tom Werner will stay chairman and Mike Gordon will continue as president, while the club’s strategy and wider principles will remain unchanged.

Bezos, whose wealth is estimated at roughly $270bn, is among the richest men in the world, but his involvement will not lead to any alteration in Liverpool’s transfer budget or transfer policy, and there will be no fresh funds made available to manager Andoni Iraola as he seeks to strengthen his squad. The club must also operate within financial sustainability rules, while transfer decisions will continue to be handled by the sporting department under director of football Richard Hughes.

Bezos will not join Liverpool’s board as a director, but the expanded board will include Bryan Baum from K5 Sports, a fund in which Bezos is the lead investor, along with Elaine Saverin, the wife of Eduardo Saverin, the Brazilian venture capitalist who co-founded Facebook with Mark Zuckerberg and is now based in Singapore.

Bhatia will become a vice-president of Liverpool. The son-in-law of Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal and himself a billionaire, he has impressed FSG both personally and professionally, and they regard him as a partner who respects the club’s history and identity.

Bhatia has been FSG’s main counterpart during the negotiations. The American group have regularly received approaches from potential buyers and, although they were under no financial pressure to sell, they were impressed by the calibre of the people involved in 1892 Holdings and by the breadth of their experience and expertise.

Gordon, the FSG president, said: “Liverpool has always been built by thinking beyond one season and making decisions with the club’s long-term interests in mind. That approach continues to attract interest from respected investors and business leaders around the world. As we considered this opportunity, it became clear that Amit and the consortium shared our long-term philosophy and appreciation for what makes Liverpool special. Their experience and perspective will complement the strong foundation already in place, and we look forward to working together.”

Bhatia, who stepped down from the Queens Park Rangers board last month, was interested only in investing in Liverpool and had not considered other clubs. Once the investment opportunity emerged following discussions with FSG, he began assembling the consortium, including Saverin and Bezos.

He said: “We are incredibly proud to be investing in Liverpool Football Club and to be doing so alongside FSG. We have the utmost respect and admiration for FSG as owners and for everything they have achieved at Anfield. To be welcomed as a partner in a club of this stature is a huge privilege. We are making this investment because we believe deeply in Liverpool and its leadership, and we look forward to supporting the club's continued success for years to come.”

FSG bought Liverpool for £300m in 2010. The 1892 investment now values the club at just over $7bn (£5.1bn). The transaction documents provide some flexibility over how the relationship between FSG and 1892 may evolve over time, but there is no pre-determined route towards full ownership.