For the first time since 1997, the Seattle Seahawks are going to be for sale. And purchasing them, especially after a trip to Super Bowl LX, isn’t going to be cheap.
The Seahawks will go up for sale following the Super Bowl, according to ESPN’s Seth Wickersham and Brady Henderson, and the price tag could be set between $7 billion and $8 billion. If it’s going to be someone from Washington State who purchases the team, which is likely, there are a few potential suitors.
Paul G. Allen purchased the Seahawks for about $194 million, preventing a potential relocation nearly 30 years ago. With four Super Bowl appearances since then and one NFL title, the team is unlikely to be sold to someone who would try and move them.
Washington State has 12 local billionaires, according to Forbes’ 2025 list of the richest people in the world, and there are other powerful people who could be interested. Here are a few that immediately top the list as possible buyers.
Jeff Bezos, $249.9 billion (4th richest in the world)
Bezos wasn’t born and raised in Washington State, nor has he primarily lived in the area for a few years. However, Amazon’s Corporate Headquarters is still in Seattle, and he has plenty of money to potentially throw at a purchase of the team.
There’s been speculation in the past about whether Bezos would inquire about buying the Seahawks, and now might be that time. He’s already dabbled in the sports realm with broadcasting rights to NFL games, which shows he at least wants a slice of the pie.
Larry Ellison, $211.2 billion (6th)
A lesser-known name locally, Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle, was reportedly among the potential buyers mentioned back in 2018 when Allen died. Ellison doesn’t live in Washington State, so it’s hard to know if there’s remaining interest.
One thing’s for sure: Ellison has the money to do it. But he’s also not a safe pick, as he doesn’t have many ties to the Seattle area.
Steve Balmer, $133.7 billion (13th)
Ballmer makes almost too much sense. He’s already the owner of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, purchasing the franchise for a then-record $2 billion back in 2014. He’s the former CEO of Microsoft and now has a chance to get a team in his home state.
When asked in 2024 about his interest in potentially purchasing the Seahawks, Ballmer said it wasn’t in the cards. So, unless something has changed, it might not come together. But the team was never formally for sale back then, so that might be the nudge he needs.
Bill Gates, $104.2 billion (18th)
Gates, also through Microsoft, has ties to Allen. He’s expressed his Seahawks fandom in the past, but it’s unknown what his interest would be in purchasing an NFL team.
Jody Allen, who has been running the team since Paul Allen died in 2018, has been able to be hands-off with general manager John Schneider running the show, so that may bolster his interest. At 70 years old, however, it might be something Gates doesn’t want to get caught up in at this point in his life.
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