The Estate of Paul G. Allen officially announced on February 18, 2026 that it has begun a formal sale process for the Seattle Seahawks NFL franchise. The announcement came approximately ten days after the Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60, earning the franchise's second championship. Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, purchased the Seahawks in 1997 for approximately $194-200 million, saving the team from a potential relocation to Southern California. Allen died in October 2018 at age 65 from complications of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, after which his sister Jody Allen became executor of his estate and chair of the Seahawks.
The sale fulfills Allen's explicit directive to eventually sell his sports holdings and direct all proceeds to philanthropy. Investment bank Allen & Company and law firm Latham & Watkins were selected to lead the process, which is expected to run through the 2026 NFL offseason. Any final purchase agreement must be ratified by NFL owners.
Forbes valued the Seahawks at $6.7 billion as of August 2025, ranking them 14th in the league. The sale is expected to potentially set a new NFL record, surpassing the Washington Commanders' $6.05 billion sale in 2023. The Allen estate also owns the Portland Trail Blazers, which is already in the process of being sold to a group led by Tom Dundon for approximately $4.2 billion. NFL rules require an individual — not a trust — to serve as controlling owner, and multiple NFL owners had reportedly pressured the estate to complete the sale.