SEATTLE—The estate of late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen announced Wednesday, February 18, it has begun the formal process of selling the Seattle Seahawks, just 10 days after the team won its second Super Bowl title and two days after the Washington State Senate passed a Millionaires’ Tax.
Speculation about a potential sale circulated for weeks, however the estate firmly denied the rumor at that time.
The announcement fulfills Allen’s directive in his will to eventually sell his sports holdings and direct all proceeds from his estate to philanthropy. Allen, who purchased the Seahawks in 1997 to keep the franchise from relocating, died in 2018 from complications of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. His sister, Jody Allen, has overseen the team as chair since then.
“The Estate of Paul G. Allen today announced it has commenced a formal sale process for the Seattle Seahawks NFL franchise, consistent with Allen’s directive to eventually sell his sports holdings and direct all Estate proceeds to philanthropy,” the team said in a statement.
The estate has retained investment bank Allen & Company and law firm Latham & Watkins to manage the sale, which is expected to extend through the 2026 offseason before NFL owners vote to approve any deal.
The Seahawks, valued at roughly $7 billion before their latest championship, could fetch one of the highest prices in NFL history if sold in that range — surpassing the $6 billion paid for the Washington Commanders in 2023.
The team defeated the New England Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl LX, marking the franchise’s first title since 2014 and making this the first instance in the Super Bowl era of a team being placed on the market immediately after a championship game, according to ESPN.
Jody Allen, chair and executor of the Paul G. Allen Trust 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, that fueled speculation of the sale.
Currently, no prospective buyers were named, and the estate provided no further details on the process. 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.
Washington’s proposed “millionaire’s tax” — a 9.9% levy on income over $1 million, supported by Gov. Bob Ferguson and eyed for 2028 implementation passed the Senate earlier this week on Monday, February 16. Combined with capital gains and payroll taxes, it could create the nation’s highest top rate at over 18% for Seattle high earners.
Critics argue that the Millionaires’ 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 Seattle Hawks’s new owners, it may influence stadium deals or relocation decisions to tax-friendly states like Texas or Florida.
Author: Mario Lotmore
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