The Seattle Seahawks are being sold for a record sale price in the NFL.
The estate of Paul G. Allen, the Microsoft CEO who died in 2018, announced a 9.6 billion sale to a group led by venture capitalist and San Francisco 49ers minority owner Vinod Khosla on Saturday, July 11.
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“We are honored to be entrusted as the next stewards of the Seattle Seahawks. We look forward to building on the winning legacy of Paul Allen created and earning the trust of Seahawks organization and fans everywhere,” Kohsla, 71, said in a statement.
The Seattle Times reported that a memo sent to NFL teams on Saturday said Neeru Khosla, the wife of Vinod Khosla, will be the controlling owner and his son, Neal Khosla, will also have a significant role.
Vinod Khosla joined the 49ers ownership group in 2025, buying 3.1% of the team at a more than $8.5 billion valuation. He shared news of the sale on X.
“Excited to be part of this great franchise,” Khosla wrote. “Also excited to see the money all go to a non-profit.”
How much did the Seattle Seahawks sell for?
The Seahawks’ final price tag was $9.612 billion, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal is subject to approval by the leauge’s owners, which is expected to be Aug. 26, per ESPN.
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The Seahawks were formally put up for sale after their victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60.
Who is Vinod Khosla?
Khosla, who was born in India and completed his MBA at Stanford in 1980, founded Khosla Ventures, a venture capital firm. He has a net worth of $13.7 billion, according to Forbes.
Khosla wrote on X that he wouldn’t comment further until the sale is final, but directed people to his Wikipedia page for “more about us.”
Why were the Seahawks sold after Paul Allen’s death?
The Seahawks were put up for sale less than a month after hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, the team announced in a statement.
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“The Estate of Paul G. Allen today announced it has commenced a formal sale process for the Seattle Seahawks NFL franchise, consistent with Allen’s directive to eventually sell his sports holdings and direct all Estate proceeds to philanthropy,” a Feb. 18 statement read.
Allen, who co-founded Microsoft Corporation, purchased the Seahawks in 1997 for $194 million. Allen died at age 65 and team ownership was transferred to the Allen estate, managed by his sister Jody.
Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald was asked about a potential sale of the franchise leading up to Super Bowl 60.”To go with the sale and the ownership… nothing’s changed from two weeks ago or nothing’s changed since I interviewed for the job with Jody two years ago,” Macdonald said.
The previous NFL record for a team sale came in 2023 when the group led by Josh Harris purchased the Washington Commanders from Daniel Snyder.
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The Los Angeles Lakers were sold for a record $10 billion in 2025 to mark the most expensive sports sale in major North American sports.
Ayrton Ostly contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Seattle Seahawks sold to current NFL owner for record price. Who is Vinod Kohsla?
