Jeff Bezos Reportedly Barred from Buying Washington Commanders by Current Owner Dan Snyder

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Jeff Bezos has been barred from bidding on the Washington Commanders, according to multiple news reports.

The 59-year-old billionaire's attempt to buy the NFL team is being blocked by the Commanders' bank, The Athletic reported Saturday.

The outlet added that the decision hails from current owner Dan Snyder's belief that Bezos, the owner of The Washington Post, has worked to "oust" him for years.

It also cited the fact that the newspaper had published a series of stories about a culture of "sexual harassment" inside the organization as a contributing factor.

In December 2022, this included an opinion piece ascribed to the editorial board of the newspaper that accused Snyder of presiding over a culture of "exploitation of cheerleaders, unwanted sexual advances and the hiring of prostitutes during work-related events."

The story added the board's belief that Snyder "is unfit to run a concession stand, let alone one of the region's marquee professional sports teams."

RELATED: Washington Commanders Owners Dan and Tanya Snyder Exploring Selling the NFL Team

Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post via Getty Dan Snyder

The New York Post first reported Snyder's alleged decision to block Bezos from the sale of the franchise on Friday. The outlet added that Snyder may also remain at the helm of the Commanders if he does not receive an acceptable bid.

"It's a free country, he can sell to whomever he wants," a source told The Athletic.

RELATED: Matthew McConaughey May Join Jeff Bezos In Bid to Buy the Washington Commanders

Snyder and his wife Tanya Snyder announced they were exploring options to sell the franchise last fall.

A source close to Bezos told PEOPLE at the time that the Amazon founder was interested in buying the team — "possibly in partnership" with Jay-Z, who previously owned a stake in the Brooklyn Nets.

"It is my favorite sport," Bezos told CNN at the time. "So we'll just have to wait and see."

Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Vanity Fair Jeff Bezos

In November, a source told PEOPLE that Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey was also "exploring" an opportunity to join Bezos in the bid.

"He has been a fan for decades and supported the team and is now exploring how he can lead a team or join a team in the bid," the source said of the 53-year-old actor.

A representative for McConaughey declined to comment at the time.

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Bezos's interest in buying an NFL team dates back to at least 2019, when CBS Sports reported that he had expressed the desire to dip his toe into the sport. Sources told the outlet at the time that Bezos had "strong support within the league to eventually join their ranks," but no teams were for sale then.

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