A group led by Vinod Khosla, his wife Neeru, and their son Neal has agreed to purchase the Seattle Seahawks from the Paul Allen Estate for a reported $9.6 billion. This valuation would represent a record price for a National Football League franchise.
The agreement awaits approval from at least 24 of the NFL's 32 owners, with a vote potentially occurring as early as next month at a league meeting. The deal will undergo review by the league's finance committee before the owners' vote.
If approved, the Khosla family will become the fourth ownership group in the Seahawks' 51-year history. Vinod Khosla, currently a limited partner with the San Francisco 49ers, will need to divest his minority stake in that team before assuming controlling ownership of the Seahawks.
"We are honored to be entrusted as the next stewards of the Seattle Seahawks," Vinod Khosla stated on behalf of the family. "We look forward to building on the winning legacy Paul Allen created and to earning the trust of the Seahawks organization and fans everywhere."
The reported $9.6 billion price tag surpasses the previous NFL record set in 2023 when a group led by Josh Harris purchased the Washington Commanders for $6.05 billion. However, the Seahawks' sale price would still fall short of the $10 billion sale of the Los Angeles Lakers, which was the richest deal in North American sports history.
The Seahawks confirmed the pending sale, though the financial terms were not officially disclosed. The team is coming off a Super Bowl LX victory.
Jody Allen has chaired the Paul G. Allen Estate since her brother's death in October 2018. The estate announced in February that it was seeking a buyer for the Seahawks, in accordance with Paul Allen's wishes that his assets be sold and the proceeds donated to charity.
Details regarding other potential investors within the Khosla-led group have not been fully disclosed. Reports had previously indicated that a group including Celtics alternate governors Wyc Grousbeck and Aditya Mittal was a finalist in the bidding process.
Vinod Khosla is known as a co-founder of Sun Microsystems and the founder of Khosla Ventures. Neal Khosla, a Stanford graduate, is the co-founder and CEO of Curai Health. Neeru Khosla also has an entrepreneurial background and holds a master's degree in molecular biology.