Indian American billionaire and new Seahawks owner Vinod Khosla told Axios that he has no plans to move the team out of Seattle, although he “will never say never.” Seattle residents have expressed strong interest in keeping the reigning Super Bowl champions in the city.
The Seahawks’ lease at Lumen Field runs through 2032, with options to renew through 2062.
“Will this team be in Seattle 500 years from now? But I have no current plans to change anything about the team, including the coach, president, operation or Lumen Field. It all functions well,” Khosla said.
Khosla also gave a noncommittal response when asked whether he would seek upgrades to Lumen Field when the team’s current lease expires.
READ: Seattle Seahawks sale decided by razor-thin final bid (July 19, 2026)
“Three months ago I wasn’t even thinking about buying an NFL team,” he said. “Now I ended up with a Super Bowl-winning team with one of the most amazing fan bases. But I know very little about running a team. I don’t think I’ll do anything but learn for a while.”
Indian American billionaire venture capitalist Vinod Khosla and his family acquired the Seahawks for a record $9.612 billion in July, making it the most expensive acquisition of an NFL franchise in league history.
The franchise was previously owned by the estate of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who died in 2018. His sister, Jody Allen, oversaw the team as trustee.
As a condition of the purchase, the Khosla family had to divest its 3.1% minority stake in the San Francisco 49ers, in accordance with NFL ownership rules prohibiting controlling interests in multiple franchises.
READ: Vinod Khosla and family buy Super Bowl champions Seattle Seahawks for record $9.6 billion (July 13, 2026)
Khosla told Axios that he was not actively looking to buy an NFL team until Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob suggested it.
“I told him that I hadn’t even actually considered owning an NFL team, but we had the conversation and then began discussing it with my son — he and I have probably gone to half of all 49ers home games together over the past 28 years. My whole family loves football, but me and my son especially have a real passion for it,” he said.
“It wasn’t like this 10-year plan. It was a combination of passion, interest, and the convenience of having something that’s an hour-and-20-minute flight. I wouldn’t buy a team in Philadelphia or Washington, D.C. And the 49ers weren’t going to be for sale any time soon.”
Axios also asked Khosla whether he worried “about instinctively cheering a 49ers touchdown when they play Seattle, and being caught on camera?”
“No, I’m not confused,” Khosla said.