Could Bill Gates Buy The Seattle Seahawks & Jeff Bezos Land The Washington Commanders?
Since the day of Paul Allen’s death in 2018, rumors have been circulating about what will happen to his many popular and high-profile assets, including the Seattle Seahawks.
A month after his death, NFL.com reported, “While no sale is imminent,” the expectation is for the franchise to be sold. Paul Allen had filed a succession plan with the league, which states the proceeds of the sale of the Seahawks will be to the Paul G. Allen Foundation.
However, after three and a half years, the team remains in the hands of Allen’s sister, Jody Allen. She is also the current owner of the Portland Trail Blazers as well. Last week, a Portland-based writer and talk show host, John Canzano, shared that the Seahawks could be sold in the next couple of years.
“Insiders expect the Blazers to be positioned for auction in the next 6-18 months. The Seahawks could follow shortly after, but sources say Jody Allen may be wrangling to keep a piece of the NFL franchise.”
“Fund his passion projects,” according to a source. “None of this is up in the air,” the source told Canzano. “The instructions are clear: The sports franchises and everything in the trust must be sold.
According to the Seattle Times, the Seahawks are not currently for sale, and there is no indication that they will be any time soon.
Speaking of the Seahawks, according to an NFL source, there’s been a conversation between Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos about which team each of them will purchase once they become available. The Washington Commanders could become available if Congress forces Daniel Snyder to put them up for purchase.
“With Bezos and Gates, they are waiting for Seattle and Washington to open up because [The Seattle] Seahawks will be for sale. So, they are just waiting to see what happens with the Denver Broncos,” said the source.
“Denver will get $4.5 to 5 billion; Bezos and Gates have already talked about if you leave Seattle to me; we will let you get the Commanders. Something has already been worked out to see who gets what.”
If Gates purchases the Seahawks from the Allen Family, he will be purchasing them from his childhood friend and one of his co-founders of Microsoft. Allen bought the Seahawks for $194 million in 1997 from owner Ken Behring, who had attempted to move the team to southern California in 1996. As of August 2021, Forbes had the franchise ranked 12th and worth $3.5 billion.
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