- Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos may be considering buying the Seattle Seahawks, according to a report from The Washington Post.
- While the Seahawks aren't currently up for sale, it's possible the team may be looking for new ownership after the death of Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen in 2018.
- The purchase would be a feasible one for the richest man in the world: NFL teams can cost as much as $2.3 billion, but Bezos is worth an estimated $110 billion.
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Jeff Bezos may be eyeing his next big purchase, and it's right in Amazon's backyard.
The CEO is interested in buying the Seattle Seahawks, according to "a person familiar with the NFL's thinking" who spoke to The Washington Post. Amazon did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment on the report.
CBS Sports reported earlier this week that Bezos was considering buying an NFL team, though it didn't clarify which one.
While the Seahawks aren't currently up for sale, it's possible the team may be looking for new ownership: Paul Allen, the cofounder of Microsoft, bought the team in 1997 and died last year after complications from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
The purchase would be feasible for the world's richest man, who is worth an estimated $110 billion. Two of the most recent sales in the NFL were the Carolina Panthers and the Buffalo Bills, which sold for $2.3 billion and $1.4 billion respectively.
And Bezos does appear to be a sports fan. He attended the men's Wimbledon finals in July, and was spotted at the Super Bowl in February. While the Seahawks weren't playing, he did pose for a picture with his brother, Mark, and the Griffin brothers - Shaquem and Shaquille - both of whom play for Seattle. The photo racked up over 2,000 likes and dozens of comments, including one that said: "Please tell me this is a sign @jeffbezos is buying @seahawks 🙏🏻🙏🏻."
If Bezos goes through with the purchase, the Post notes that he would join a long line of tech executives who own sports teams: Mark Cuban owns the Dallas Mavericks; Ted Leonsis, a former AOL executive, owns the Washington Wizards, Mystics, and Capitals; and Steve Ballmer, another former Microsoft executive, owns the Los Angeles Clippers. Additionally, Allen's family owns the Portland Trail Blazers and is a minority owner of the Seattle Sounders soccer team.
And up until 2016, Nintendo had a stake in the Seattle Mariners, the city's Major League Baseball team. Howard Lincoln, Nintendo of America's former chairman, served as the team's chairman and CEO for 17 years.