Indian American billionaire venture capitalist Vinod Khosla and his family have agreed to acquire the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks for a record $9.612 billion, making it the most expensive acquisition of an NFL franchise in league history.
The transaction, which is subject to approval by NFL owners, surpasses the previous league record of $6.05 billion paid for the Washington Commanders in 2023.
The Seahawks announced that the Khosla family will become the team’s controlling owner once the sale is completed. The franchise, a two-time Super Bowl winner, has been owned by the estate of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen since he died in 2018, with his sister Jody Allen overseeing the team as trustee. Under the terms of Allen’s estate, proceeds from the sale will support Allen Family Philanthropies.
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The ownership group will be led by educator and entrepreneur Neeru Khosla, who will serve as the controlling owner. Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems and founder of Khosla Ventures, and the couple’s son Neal Khosla, chief executive of AI healthcare company Curai, are also part of the family ownership group.
“We are honored to be entrusted as the next stewards of the Seattle Seahawks,” Vinod Khosla said in a statement on behalf of the family. “We look forward to building on the winning legacy Paul Allen created and to earning the trust of the Seahawks organization and fans everywhere.”
As a condition of the purchase, the Khosla family will divest its 3.1 percent minority stake in the San Francisco 49ers, in line with NFL ownership rules that prohibit controlling interests in multiple franchises. Owners are expected to vote on the transaction at a special meeting scheduled for late August.
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Beyond the transaction itself, the acquisition further raises the profile of Indian Americans in global sports ownership.
Khosla, an IIT Delhi graduate who moved to the United States to pursue higher education, built his fortune through technology and venture capital. Through Khosla Ventures, he has backed companies including DoorDash, Instacart and OpenAI, making him one of Silicon Valley’s most influential investors.
Founded in 1976, the Seahawks compete in the National Football Conference (NFC) West division alongside the Arizona Cardinals, the Los Angeles Rams, and the San Francisco 49ers. The team plays its home games at Lumen Field in Seattle and won its first Super Bowl (XLVIII) following the 2013 season under head coach Pete Carroll.
For the Seahawks, the sale marks the beginning of a new era following one of the most successful periods in franchise history.
The Seahawks enter the 2026 season as the defending Super Bowl champion, with the new ownership group pledging to preserve the culture and competitive legacy established during Paul Allen’s nearly three decades as owner.
Pending NFL approval, the Khoslas would acquire one of the league’s premier franchises and a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Sportsbooks consider the Seahawks one of the NFL’s top teams with a realistic chance of winning the Super Bowl this season, with odds ranging from +950 to +1100.
Led by head coach Mike Macdonald and quarterback Sam Darnold, the Seahawks boast a talented roster that includes wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, running back Kenneth Walker III, and cornerback Devon Witherspoon.
Smith-Njigba emerged as one of the NFL’s top receivers last season, finishing with 1,793 receiving yards.
Beyond the Seahawks’ on-field prospects, the transaction would also represent a milestone for South Asian representation in professional sports ownership.
If the deal goes through, the Khoslas would become the second South Asian American owners of an NFL franchise. The Jacksonville Jaguars have been owned by Pakistani American billionaire Shahid Khan since 2012.
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The Khoslas would also become only the second Indian American owners of a team in one of the four major U.S. professional sports leagues: the NFL, National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL), and Major League Baseball (MLB).
Indian American technology entrepreneur Vivek Ranadivé has owned the NBA’s Sacramento Kings since 2013. Before acquiring the Kings, he was part of the ownership group of the Golden State Warriors, holding a minority stake until the Kings purchase. Fellow Indian American Raj Bhathal is also a minority owner of the Sacramento Kings.