Tech magnate Vinod Khosla and his family have finalized a deal to acquire the Seattle Seahawks for $9.6 billion, according to insiders familiar with the transaction, as reported by Variety‘s affiliate sports news platform Sportico.
This acquisition represents one of the highest valuations ever for a sports team in a control transaction, approaching the $10 billion mark seen in Mark Walter’s purchase of the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers. Khosla, originally from India and a notable venture capitalist, is valued at approximately $13.7 billion by Forbes. He is purchasing the reigning Super Bowl champions from the estate of the late Paul Allen.
Khosla’s group outbid several other contenders, including a consortium led by billionaire Aditya Mittal, a member of one of India’s wealthiest families, according to sources who requested anonymity due to the private nature of the details. Sportico initially reported on Khosla’s interest in May.
As per a memo from the NFL on Saturday, Neeru Khosla, Vinod Khosla’s wife, will assume the role of the team’s control owner. Neeru Khosla is the co-founder and chair of the CK12 Foundation, an educational non-profit. Their son, Neal Khosla, who serves as CEO of Curai, is also set to take on a leadership role within the team, according to the memo viewed by Sportico.
Details on the financing of the deal remain unclear. Khosla did not respond immediately to requests for comment via email. The Allen estate announced on Saturday that the team had been sold to the Khosla family, including a statement from Khosla himself, but did not divulge specifics about the deal or its financing, confirming only that the Khoslas will be the new control owners.
According to last year’s Sportico figures, the Seahawks are valued at $6.59 billion, but expectations were that the team would fetch a significantly higher price. NFL team sales are relatively infrequent, with this being only the third such transaction in the past decade, and the league’s structure nearly ensures a nine-figure profit for each team annually.
Khosla, a co-founder of Sun Microsystems, was among a group of local investors who invested in the San Francisco 49ers last year, valued at over $8.5 billion. At that time, Sportico reported that Khosla acquired the largest stake, although specific details were unavailable.
New NFL owners often enter the league as limited partners in other franchises, which familiarizes them with league operations. For instance, David Tepper, who acquired the Carolina Panthers in 2018, was a minority owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, as was Josh Harris, who purchased the Washington Commanders in 2023. Harris’ group included David Blitzer, another Steelers LP. Should the Seahawks deal conclude, Khosla will need to divest his equity in the 49ers.
Khosla moved to the U.S. in his early 20s, obtained an MBA from Stanford, and co-founded Sun Microsystems in 1982, serving as the tech firm’s first CEO. His venture capital career began at Kleiner Perkins, leading to the creation of Khosla Ventures in 2004. The firm has seen notable exits such as Affirm, Opendoor, and DoorDash, all of which went public.
NFL ownership rules impose strict limits on financing arrangements. There is a $1.5 billion cap on debt, and the control owner must hold at least 30% of the equity. Institutional funds can own up to 10%, and the ownership group cannot exceed 24 minority stakeholders.
The Seahawks are being sold by the Allen estate, which took ownership after Paul Allen’s death in 2018. His will dictated that his sports assets, including the Seahawks and the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, be sold for charitable purposes. Jody Allen, his sister and executor of his estate, has managed the teams since his passing. Recently, the Trail Blazers were sold for $4.1 billion to a group led by Tom Dundon.
To date, the most expensive NFL team sale in a control transaction is the Commanders at $6.05 billion, while the Lakers hold the record for the most costly sports team acquisition at $10 billion. Additionally, a minority stake in the Miami Dolphins’ parent company was recently sold to a Chinese billionaire for a $12.5 billion valuation.
Mittal had previously invested around $1 billion in the 2025 acquisition of the Boston Celtics, marking his initial major venture into U.S. sports. His group bidding for the Seahawks included Wyc Grousbeck, former control owner of the Celtics, as earlier reported by Sportico.
Latham & Watkins served as the legal advisor to the Allen estate in this transaction.
(Pictured: Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp on Feb. 8 at the 2026 Super Bowl held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.)
