Khosla family group agrees to buy Seahawks for reported record price

The Seattle Seahawks announced on Saturday that a group led by the Khosla family, which includes venture capitalist and San Francisco 49ers minority owner Vinod Khosla, has agreed to purchase the franchise from the Paul G. Allen estate.

The selling price will be an NFL-record $9.612 billion, according to ESPN. That easily surpasses the previous NFL record of $6.05 billion, which the Washington Commanders sold for in 2023. It falls just short of the North American pro sports record, which the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers set at $10 billion in October 2025.

Vinod Khosla, 71, is the co-founder of Sun Microsystems and the founder of Khosla Ventures. He is worth approximately $13.7 billion, according to Forbes. He bought a 3.1% stake in the 49ers in May 2025, and will have to relinquish that stake per NFL rules.

The NFL sent a memo to its teams stating that Vinod Khosla’s wife, Neeru Khosla, would serve as the Seahawks’ controlling owner, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The couple’s son, Neal Khosla, would also be expected to have “a significant leadership role” in the ownership group, per the memo.

NFL owners have been given a date in late August to keep open for a special meeting to approve the deal, according to ESPN. The deal needs approval from at least 24 of the league’s 32 owners.

“We are honored to be entrusted as the next stewards of the Seattle Seahawks,” Vinod Khosla said in a release from the Seahawks. “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 Allen estate announced in February that it was putting the Seahawks up for sale, less than two weeks after the franchise won its second Super Bowl title. It marked the first time a reigning Super Bowl champion was put on the market the ensuing offseason.

A Seahawks sale has been expected since Allen’s death in 2018. The Microsoft co-founder made it a directive for his trust to sell both the Seahawks and the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, with proceeds to be donated to philanthropic efforts.

The Khosla-led group was one of two front-runners in the Seahawks’ sale process, according to a report by Front Office Sports on Friday. The other was the group led by Indian steel titan/Boston Celtics minority owner Aditya Mittal and former Celtics governor Wyc Grousbeck.

The Khosla family is set to be the fourth owner in the Seahawks’ 51-year history, joining Lloyd Nordstrom (1976-87), Behring (1988-96) and Allen (1997-2018). Allen’s sister, Jody Allen, served as the Seahawks’ chair following Allen’s death.

Allen purchased the Seahawks from Behring for $194 million in 1997, which saved the franchise from a potential relocation to Southern California. Since then, the Seahawks have totaled the fifth-most wins in the NFL, along with two Super Bowl titles, four Super Bowl appearances, 11 division championships and 17 playoff appearances.

“Excited to be part of this great franchise,” Vinod Khosla posted on social media. “Also excited to see the money all go to a non-profit. No other comments till sale is final.”

Born in India, Vinod Khosla came to the United States in his early 20s. He earned a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from Carnegie Mellon and a master’s degree in business administration from Stanford.

Vinod Khosla co-founded Sun Microsystems in 1982 and served as its CEO. He began his venture capitalist career in 1986 with Kleiner Perkins and launched Khosla Ventures in 2004, with early-stage investments in OpenAI, DoorDash and Instacart, according to ESPN.

Neeru Khosla has a master’s degree in molecular biology from San Jose State and is described in the memo as an educator and entrepreneur.

Neal Khosla is the CEO of Curai Health, an AI healthcare company. He has a master’s degree from Stanford in computer science.

Seattle Sports’ Zac Hereth contributed to this report.

Seattle Seahawks news and more

• Brock: What makes Seahawks’ offensive coaching staff unique
• Brock: An area where Seahawks need young players to ascend
• Breakdown: How Seahawks have rare continuity for Super Bowl champ

Related

Recap: Seahawks tie 9-9 with Chiefs in preseason finaleWhat stood out from Seahawks’ preseason finale vs ChiefsNew Seahawks owner Vinod Khosla responds to criticism of his football tiesStacy: The 3 biggest Seahawks questions between now and Week 1Seattle Sports Radio Info: How to find Friday’s Mariners, Seahawks gamesWho makes the cut? Here’s a Seahawks 53-man roster projection