SEATTLE – Eight months ago, Vinod Khosla and his son, Neil, were diagnosed with Lumen Field.
The two players attended the Seattle Seahawks’ 41-6 playoff loss against San Francisco in January as 49ers fans, wearing apparel to support the losing team. It was their first game at Lumen Field.
At the time, the Khosla family owned a minority stake in the 49ers, which they would soon sell as part of their deal to buy the Seahawks. Two weeks ago, NFL owners voted unanimously to approve the sale of the Seattle Seahawks to Vinod and his wife Nehru.
Deep into the fourth quarter of that playoff game, with Seattle comfortably leading by five touchdowns, the Seahawks’ ’12s continued to swing, leaving a good impression in the process.
“It’s a 30-point game in the fourth quarter, and you see how special the fan base is,” Neal said Wednesday at a news conference at Lumen Field before Seattle’s opener against the New England Patriots. I think we went, “Oh my God, this is made different.” And this was the first sign that this franchise has something special in its relationship with the community.
Now Neal and the rest of the Khoslas have inducted themselves into that community as the fourth ownership group in franchise history. The Seahawks are well on their way to winning over a fan following Neal’s announcement in 2027 that they will be releasing white uniforms reminiscent of their 90s era.
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Paul G. Allen’s legacy will inevitably be a different style of ownership than what Seahawks fans are used to when he leads the team. Allen’s sister Jodie has been running the group since Paul’s death in 2018, and both are known for their laissez-faire approach and occasional public appearances.
On July 11, the Seahawks announced that the estate of Paul G. Allen had reached an agreement with the Khoslas to sell the franchise for an NFL-record $9.612 billion.
Soon after the sale was approved, Vinod took to social media In defense of his Pittsburgh Steelers fandom – Raised eyebrows at his introductory news conference when he revealed he was a Steeler fan after coming to the United States in 1976.
On Wednesday, Vinod, considered one of the most influential innovators and venture capitalists in Silicon Valley, said he would continue to be active on social media.
“I don’t spend an hour a day on social media, mostly on weekends,” Vinod said. But I will continue to participate and speak out on important issues. I have a very direct style.
Instead of moving to Seattle, Khoslas will continue to live in the Bay Area. Vinod had lived in the same house with Nehru since 1986, and Neal went to college near Stanford.
In terms of ownership style, the Khoslas hope to do the same as the Allens did. Vinod doesn’t expect he and his family to make many changes and will instead defer to general manager John Schneider, coach Mike McDonald and the rest of the Seahawks brass.
As Vinod puts it, a “close-knit family” is relatively owned and operated. Nehru will be more involved in community outreach, while Vinod (Seahawks Chairman) and Neil (Vice Chairman) will focus on day-to-day operations.
Titles and responsibilities aside, the Khoslas don’t mind hitting many things.
“How lucky? How many times can you buy a team that wins the Super Bowl?” Vinod said. “So the best thing we can do is not get too busy.”
Outside of Seattle’s recent success, which has included two Super Bowl championships in the past 13 years, Vinod says he was drawn to the city by connections in the tech industry. When the team went up for sale in February, Vinod and his wife were excited about the opportunity to own the team.
Neal, who grew up a 49ers fan, spoke candidly when asked why he and his father were drawn to the family in particular by the Seahawks.
“It’s the best sport in the world, and the best fan base in the sport and in the world,” Neal said. “Like, (it’s) easy.”
Vinod used the word “easy” to describe the task ahead: becoming the ninth franchise in NFL history to win back-to-back Super Bowls.
The Khoslas realize they have big shoes to fill, especially since the Allen family helped keep the Seahawks in Seattle. Former team owner Ken Behring nearly moved the Seahawks to Southern California in 1996 before Allen took over.
Vinod highlighted the Nordstrom family, who owned the Seahawks for the first 12 years, while discussing his family’s responsibility in owning Seattle alongside the Allens.
Being at that Seahawks-49ers playoff game in January gave Vinod a better sense of what the team means to its fans, and he hopes Khoslas can be stewards the way the Nordstroms and Allens were.
“That game brought home the power of the 12 brand for us,” Vinod said. “Literally, that’s how passionate a fan is. I never knew how popular the 12s brand was, and that’s really exciting.”
