The Seahawks are doing some selling. And multiple billionaires could be looking to do some buying.
Via Ben Horney of Front Office Sports, potential suitors for the Seattle Seahawks include Facebook/Meta mogul Mark Zuckerberg and recently-retired Apple CEO Tim Cook are considering making bids.
Two others, whose names have not yet emerged, are looking into the possibility of putting together an offer.
The next owner will pay a record amount for controlling interest in a team. At the time it was reported that the Seahawks will be sold, we reported that the expected range for a final price will be $9 billion to $11 billion.
The Commanders set the record in 2023, with a purchase price of $6.05 billion.
Zuckerberg has more than enough money to write a check for 100 percent of the equity, whatever the final price. Cook has a reported net worth of $2.9 billion. That won’t be enough to come up with the cash to buy at least 30 percent of the equity, which makes it very hard for him to be anything other than a minority partner.
The Seahawks officially hit the market on February 18, after the NFL applied pressure to current owner Jody Allen to proceed with the wishes of her late brother, Paul Allen, to sell the team and distribute the proceeds to his chosen charities. A $5 million fine for non-compliance with league ownership rules was levied and then rescinded, we’re told, with the understanding that the team would be promptly put up for sale after the 2025 season.
And while the Seahawks’ status as the reigning Super Bowl champion won’t change the balance sheets, it adds a little cachet to a process that has less to do with book value and more to do with acquiring a rare asset that is always appreciating.
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