Who could buy the Seattle Seahawks as franchise could sell for $8B

With the Seattle Seahawks officially up for sale, does anyone have a spare $8 billion lying around?

The Seahawks will undoubtedly become the most expensive NFL franchise ever sold when they leave custody of the Paul G. Allen Estate. The last NFL team that went up for sale was the Washington Commanders in 2023, with Josh Harris purchasing the franchise for $6.05 billion. But that was three years ago and the Commanders were a constant headache for the league under the ownership of Daniel Snyder.

Meanwhile, the Seahawks have been one of the most successful and consistent franchises in the 21st century, and are coming off their second Super Bowl victory last week against the New England Patriots. They will command a far higher price tag.

NFL ownership rules require the majority owner to hold at least a 30% stake in the franchise and limits the total number of partners to 25. So, with apologies to fans who may want to put together a massive group of investors, you're out of luck.

With the substantial price tag, it also limits the pool of possible buyers of the franchise. The NFL also has to approve any potential buyer.

So who are some of the names that could be interested in the franchise? Let's start locally with those with Seattle ties that have the funds to make such a purchase.

Who with local ties could buy the Seahawks?

Steve Ballmer

Former CEO of Microsoft and owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, Ballmer still has ties to the Seattle area. He was partnered with hedge fund manager Chris Hansen in an attempt to purchase and move the Sacramento Kings to Seattle in 2013 that was blocked by the NBA. While Ballmer is currently under some scrutiny for allegedly trying to circumvent the NBA salary cap with side deals that helped sign star Kawhi Leonard, Ballmer has ties to Paul Allen through their former time together at Microsoft. Worth north of $150 billion, Ballmer has plenty of financial firepower to pursue the franchise.

However, Ballmer and his wife, Connie, said "we've got enough sports" when asked about potential Seahawks' ownership on "60 Minutes Overtime" in 2024.

Jeff Bezos

The founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos has reportedly flirted with interest in sports teams before, most recently with the Commanders in 2023. With a net worth upwards of $240 billion, Bezos certainly has the financial power to purchase the team. Whether he has the interest to get involved is unknown. Bezos moved from Seattle to a private island in Miami in 2023.

Bill Gates

Paul Allen's former partner at Microsoft, Gates has stated his fandom for the Seahawks previously. With a net worth still north of $100 billion, Gates has the capital needed to pursue the franchise, if desired. However, his name being included in a recent batch of documents released in the Epstein Files could be a reason to pause for the NFL. New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch also appeared in the files, and the NFL may not want to invite further connection to the scandal.

MacKenzie Scott

The ex-wife of Jeff Bezos, Scott is one of the wealthiest women in the United States. While her proclivity for sports is uncertain, she'd have the power to make the purchase with a net worth north of $30 billion. While a purchase of a sports franchise may not directly go toward her highly philanthropic motivations, the Seahawks have appreciated exponentially from the $194 million purchase Allen made in 1997. Like Allen, she could pledge to have the value of the franchise donated to charity in the future, and it would keep the franchise under the direction of a woman, as it's been for the last seven years following Paul's passing.

Now to explore a couple of out-of-market options for potential ownership. Let's start with a couple names tied to the Commanders' sale in 2023. 

Who else could buy the Seahawks?

Steve Apostolopolous

Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos has attempted to buy multiple professional sports franchises in recent years, including the Commanders, NHL's Ottawa Senators, and NBA's Charlotte Hornets. A Toronto native, Apostolopolous is the managing partner of the real estate firm Triple Group of Companies, the founder of the private equity firm Six Ventures, and the co-founder of credit card firm Caary.

Tilman Fertitta

The owner of the NBA's Houston Rockets, Tilman Fertitta was another name interested in purchasing the Commanders in 2023. The Texas native is currently serving as the U.S. ambassador to Italy and San Marino for the Donald Trump administration. Probably not the most logical fit for the Seahawks, he's included due to his prior interest in an NFL franchise.

Larry Ellison

The founder of Oracle, Ellison is the second-richest man in America. While he doesn't own any of the four major sports teams in the U.S., he has been highly involved in funding the U.S. Sailing team, and has more recently become involved in NIL spending with the University of Michigan.

The NFL has also used franchise sales to move franchises into the control of people who were minority owners in another franchise. Most recently, David Tepper, who had a minority share in the Pittsburgh Steelers, became the principal owner of the Carolina Panthers in 2018.

Determining which minority owners across the league may have such an interest in the Seahawks is difficult to project.

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