The 22-year-old's investment consists of a 0.6% stake acquired from Warwickshire and a further 0.6% from American investment partners Knighthead Capital. Knighthead Capital acquired a 49% stake in the Phoenix franchise last year, when it was valued at around £82 million. Bellingham has strong personal connections to the region, having been brought up in Stourbridge and starting his professional football career with Birmingham City, which retired his No 22 shirt after he left for Borussia Dortmund at age 17.
Bellingham is a known cricket fan who played for Hagley in Worcestershire as a junior. According to The Guardian - Main UK, Bellingham described feeling he owes the city of Birmingham something and loves cricket, so he didn't think twice about getting involved. He also expressed a desire to help get kids in Birmingham playing sports, seeing his involvement with Birmingham Phoenix as a way to do that.
The Birmingham Phoenix teams will be led by Jacob Bethell captaining the men's side and Ellyse Perry leading the women's team this summer. Their first fixture is at home on 24 July, with The Hundred final scheduled for Lord's on 16 August.
Warwickshire chief executive Stuart Cain welcomed the investment. According to The Guardian - Main UK, Cain described Bellingham as having loved cricket as a youngster and wanting to be involved since The Hundred first sought investors. He added that Bellingham understands high-performance sport and the importance of sport in young people's lives. According to The Guardian - Main UK, Cain said Warwickshire looks forward to working with Bellingham on community initiatives moving forward.
The specific community initiatives Bellingham will work on with Birmingham Phoenix have not been detailed, nor has the exact breakdown of the £800,000+ cost or how his stake might affect day-to-day operations.