When the Seattle Seahawks have their Super Bowl celebration at Lumen Field against the New England Patriots this September, it won't be a member of the Allen family holding up the trophy. It will be Vinod Khosla.
On Saturday, the Estate of late Seahawks owner Paul Allen confirmed that they have agreed to a full sale of the team to the Khosla family led by billionaire Vinod Khosla. In a statement, Khosla said that he intends to continue building on the "winning legacy" of former owner Paul Allen.
"The Estate of Paul G. Allen today announced it has entered into a formal sale agreement with an ownership group led by the Khosla family, including Vinod Khosla, for the Seattle Seahawks NFL franchise. The Khosla family will become the team's controlling owner," the estate said in a statement.
"We are honored to be entrusted as the next stewards of the Seattle Seahawks," Vinod Khosla said in a statement. "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 Record-Setting Sale
Khosla put together a record-breaking bid to secure ownership of the team. Reports say that the final sale price will come out to a whopping $9.612 billion.
Fans are likely hoping that the Khosla family stays as hands-off as possible given the great shape the team is in right now.
Khosla's takeover will end the 30-year stewardship of the franchise by Paul Allen and his estate. Allen, the cofounder of Microsoft, bought the Seahawks in 1997 for $200 million and served as owner until his passing in 2018.
Under Allen's leadership, the Seahawks reached their first-ever Super Bowl in 2005 and won their first-ever Super Bowl title in 2013. They would reach a third Super Bowl a year later.
© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
After Allen passed away, control of the team passed to his younger sister Jody until a permanent buyer could be found. During Jody Allen's stewardship of the team, the Seahawks reached and won another Super Bowl this past season.
Formal sale of the team still has to go through approval of the other 31 NFL owners, which will take place over the next few months.
