Vinod Khosla, the founder of Khosla Ventures and a prominent Silicon Valley venture capitalist, along with his family, has entered into a formal agreement to acquire the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks for $9.612 billion. This transaction sets a new record for the highest price ever paid for an NFL franchise, significantly exceeding the previous record of $6.05 billion paid for the Washington Commanders in 2023. Khosla's net worth is reported at $13.7 billion by Forbes.
The Khosla family's bid, which was chosen over other contenders including a group led by billionaire Aditya Mittal, involves Neeru Khosla, Vinod's wife, serving as the controlling owner. Their son, Neal Khosla, is also expected to take on a significant leadership role within the ownership group. As part of the deal, the Khosla family will be required to divest their 3.1% minority stake in the San Francisco 49ers, which they acquired in 2025 at a valuation of over $8.5 billion.
The sale was initiated by the estate of the late Paul Allen, who owned the Seahawks since 1997. Allen's will mandated the sale of his sports assets, including the Seahawks and the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers (which were recently sold for $4.1 billion), with proceeds going to charitable causes. The deal is currently awaiting approval from NFL owners, with a meeting expected in August for ratification, requiring approval from 24 out of 32 owners.
This marks only the third NFL team to formally go on the market in the past decade. The Seahawks will continue to play at Lumen Field, where their lease runs through 2032 with options for three additional 10-year terms. The $9.612 billion valuation for the Seahawks approaches the $10 billion mark for the most expensive sports team in a control transaction, a figure seen in Mark Walter's purchase of the Los Angeles Lakers.
