SEATTLE—Conflicting reports have emerged regarding the potential sale of the Seattle Seahawks following Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8, with sources indicating the team could hit the market shortly after the game, though the owning estate firmly denies it’s for sale now.
According to league and ownership sources cited by ESPN, the Seahawks, valued at $7 billion to $8 billion, will be put up for sale post-Super Bowl, marking the first such instance for a championship participant. The team has been under the Paul G. Allen Trust since the Microsoft co-founder’s 2018 death, with his sister Jody Allen as chair and executor. Proceeds are earmarked for philanthropy, per Allen’s wishes, while the Portland Trail Blazers are being sold separately to a group led by Tom Dundon for over $4 billion.
However, a spokesman for the Allen estate refuted in the Seattle Times report from ESPN stating, “The team is not for sale.”
Jody Allen, in 2022 shared that while the team would eventually be sold, estates of this complexity can take 10-20 years to resolve, with no set timeline. A clause requiring 10% of proceeds to Washington state had expired in May 2025, fueling speculation.
Potential suitors, according to Sports Illustrated, include Amazon founder Jeff Bezos ($249.9 billion net worth), Oracle’s Larry Ellison ($211.2 billion), former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer ($133.7 billion), who owns the Los Angeles Clippers, and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates ($104.2 billion), all with ties to the Pacific Northwest.
The Seahawks’ resurgence — seven playoff berths in 10 years, Lumen Field upgrades for the 2026 World Cup, and a Super Bowl berth under GM John Schneider and coach Mike Macdonald — makes it unlikely that if the team is sold, it would be relocated, however that is not a certainty.
Washington’s proposed “millionaire’s tax” — a 9.9% levy on income over $1 million, supported by Gov. Bob Ferguson and eyed for 2029 implementation — could sway decisions on retaining the team in-state. Combined with capital gains and payroll taxes, it could create the nation’s highest top rate at over 18% for Seattle high earners, potentially repelling tech-affiliated billionaires like Bezos or Ballmer by hiking costs.
Critics argue that the tax risks driving wealth out, prompting relocation considerations despite the Lumen Field lease through 2033, though NFL approval would be needed. Supporters like Ferguson and Democratic legislators say the millionaires’ tax only affects less than 0.5% of Washington state residents for fairer taxation, but for owners, it may influence stadium deals or relocation decisions to tax-friendly states like Texas or Florida.
Author: Mario Lotmore
