Tech billionaire Vinod Khosla will not pursue an NBA expansion team in Seattle.
"I'm not buying a team in the NBA," Khosla said, adding that he has "always enjoyed the NFL more than the NBA personally."
The comments follow the $9.6 billion agreement for the Khosla family to acquire the Seattle Seahawks — the highest price ever paid for an NFL franchise.
Neeru Khosla, Vinod Khosla's wife, will serve as the Seahawks' control owner, making her the first woman to take that role at an NFL franchise immediately following a transaction. Other female control owners in the league assumed their positions after prior owners' deaths.
Vinod Khosla, a Silicon Valley venture investor with a net worth of $13.6 billion according to Forbes, said he has no intention of running the Seahawks' day-to-day operations and will remain focused on his venture investing business.
Neeru Khosla, 71, runs an education nonprofit. The NFL requires a controlling owner to hold at least a 30 percent equity stake in a team.
The Khoslas were both born in India, making them the first NFL owners born in the world's most populous country. The league's only other control owners born outside the United States are Shad Khan (Pakistan) and Zygi Wilf (West Germany).
Vinod Khosla is a vocal advocate for artificial intelligence development and was an early backer of OpenAI. On a recent podcast, he said AI is ushering in an era of mass economic freedom in the United States where government will provide a base guaranteed lifestyle.
Khosla has also said, "I've never understood why rational people believe in God," and that "religion is mainly about manipulating people."
The acquisition agreement was reached July 11, 2026. NFL approval requires assent from 24 of 32 owners, with a final decision expected in August.
The Seahawks ranked 10th in merchandise sales last season. The NFL is unlikely to approve any team relocation out of Seattle, a market the league aims to retain.
