The man who helped keep the Seahawks in Seattle nearly three decades ago says the defending Super Bowl champions are in good hands.
King County Council member Pete von Reichbauer, who brokered the 1997 sale of the Seahawks to Paul Allen, publicly endorsed the Khosla family's NFL-record $9.612 billion purchase on July 12, after consulting Stanford University contacts about the prospective owners.
Von Reichbauer said he spoke with three people connected to Stanford, including attorneys who have worked with the Khosla family, before going public with his support. Those conversations painted a picture of a family that prizes stability as much as winning.
"Anybody who has dealt with them that I've talked with at Stanford knows that they are winners," von Reichbauer told KING 5.
The Khoslas have lived in the same California home since 1986 and spend much of each month together, von Reichbauer said. He said he expects Neeru Khosla to serve as the family's primary NFL representative while the Seahawks' existing leadership stays in place. Head coach Mike Macdonald is under contract through 2029, and general manager John Schneider through 2031, according to the Seattle Times.
In a statement released the same day, von Reichbauer said the Khoslas "will be bringing the same tradition of excellence that the Nordstrom family started the franchise with and the Allen family continued with. The trust got the highest bidder and the Seahawks got the best prospective owners."
What happens next
NFL owners will vote on the deal in August, according to ESPN. The hope is that the transfer will be completed before the Seahawks open the 2026 season on September 9, against New England.
The Seahawks beat the Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl LX on February 8. This is the first time in the Super Bowl era that a reigning champion has changed ownership the following offseason, according to the Seattle Times.
Von Reichbauer acknowledged that at nearly $10 billion, a local Washington state buyer was always a long shot. Fan George Hu, speaking outside Lumen Field on July 12, shared that disappointment.
"I'm actually ex-Microsoft, and I thought a bunch of ex-Microsofties could get together and buy the team. Very disappointed that nobody in Washington state bought it."
Who are the Khoslas?
Vinod Khosla co-founded Sun Microsystems and later founded Khosla Ventures, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Forbes estimates his net worth at $13.7 billion. He earned his MBA from Stanford's Graduate School of Business.
Neeru Khosla will be the controlling owner, per an NFL memo sent to all teams. She holds a master's degree in molecular biology from San Jose State University and founded CK-12, a nonprofit providing free learning resources for students. Son Neal Khosla is a Stanford graduate and CEO of Curai Health, an AI-driven virtual care company.
The family must give up its 3.1% ownership stake in the San Francisco 49ers as a condition of the deal, according to Fortune.
The entire $9.612 billion in sale proceeds will go to charity through the Paul G. Allen Estate. Allen purchased the Seahawks for $194 million in 1997 after von Reichbauer convinced him to save professional football in the Puget Sound region.
