The Seahawks will have new owners watching from the suite when Seattle hosts New England in a Super Bowl rematch Sept. 9 at Lumen Field, if all goes as expected next week in Atlanta.
Two NFL committees voted unanimously Wednesday, Aug. 19, to recommend approval of the record $9.612 billion sale from the Paul G. Allen Estate to a group led by the Khosla family, the Seattle Times reported. An NFL spokesperson confirmed the recommendation. All 32 owners will cast the final vote at a special league meeting Wednesday, Aug. 26, in Atlanta, where 24 votes are needed for approval.
The last four NFL team sales all passed unanimously once the finance committee signed off.
Natalie Welch, director of Seattle University's MBA in Sport and Entertainment Management program, told KOMO News the committee news is "a really kind of a green light indicator that things are going to move forward pretty much like expected." She added she does not see the Seahawks leaving Seattle anytime soon, citing the city's World Cup hosting as reinforcing Lumen Field's value.
Both sides expect the sale to close in the first week of September, ideally before the home opener against the Patriots. That would make the Khosla family the fourth ownership group in franchise history.
Who are the new owners?
Neeru Khosla will become the controlling owner, making her the first woman to hold that role in the NFL without inheriting a team. Her husband Vinod Khosla, 71, co-founded Sun Microsystems and later founded Khosla Ventures, the Silicon Valley firm that was an early backer of OpenAI.
Forbes estimates his net worth at roughly $14 billion. Their son Neal, a Stanford graduate and CEO of virtual health care company Curai, is expected to take a significant leadership role.
Bloomberg reported that Vinod Khosla has no intention of running the Seahawks day to day. He offered a glimpse of that hands-off philosophy on Aug. 9, responding to a fan question about natural grass at Lumen Field:
@VinodKhosla: "I'd defer to people at the @seahawks who know better than me. The team that got us the Super Bowl."
Head coach Mike Macdonald met the family in person during training camp on July 25. "It wasn't a long meeting (but) it was great," Macdonald said at the time. "Being in person is a different experience, which I definitely appreciated."
What it means for Seattle
The $9.612 billion price tag is the highest ever paid for an NFL franchise, topping the $6.05 billion Washington Commanders sale in 2023 by 60 percent. Allen paid $194 million in 1997.
Fans worried about relocation can point to the Lumen Field lease, which runs through at least 2031 with three 10-year extension options. Beth Knox, president and CEO of the Seattle Sports Commission, said in July she has no concern about the team leaving given that lease structure.
One wrinkle remains: the Khosla family must divest a 3.1 percent stake in the San Francisco 49ers acquired in 2025. As of Thursday, Aug. 20, that divestiture had not occurred, and the Seattle Times reported such situations have historically taken months to resolve.
The sale proceeds will go to philanthropy under Allen's estate directive. Which charities will benefit has not been disclosed.
Next Wednesday in Atlanta, expect the final green light.
