The Seattle Seahawks are officially on the market, and the rumor mill is already churning with speculation about who might step in as the franchise's next owner. Fresh off their second Super Bowl victory in team history, the Seahawks have attracted serious interest from deep-pocketed tech moguls—though conflicting reports have emerged about exactly who's in the running.
According to a report from Front Office Sports, at least four potential majority buyers have expressed interest in the team. The two biggest names? Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg and soon-to-be former Apple CEO Tim Cook, who recently announced he'll step down from the top role to become executive vice president of Apple's board. Sources told FOS that five insiders have heard Zuckerberg is considering a bid, while four say Cook is separately weighing an offer. The identities of the other two bidders remain unclear, and it's unknown whether any formal offers have been made.
But before you start refreshing your Facebook feed or checking your iPhone for updates, Puck's Dylan Byers has thrown cold water on the story. "This isn't true," Byers posted, citing sources close to both men. "Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook are not considering bids for the Seattle Seahawks. Period, full stop."
Representatives for Allen & Co.—the bank handling the sale for the Paul G. Allen estate—declined to comment, as did reps for Meta and Apple. For now, the Seahawks' future remains a guessing game.
From a financial standpoint, the two tech titans are in very different leagues. Cook's estimated $2.9 billion net worth would likely require him to join a larger ownership group, while Zuckerberg's fortune—reportedly north of $200 billion—gives him far more flexibility. Neither has owned a professional sports franchise before, though Zuckerberg has close ties to the UFC through a sponsorship deal, and Cook is a die-hard Auburn alum with a passion for football.
As the sale process unfolds, one thing is clear: the Seahawks' next chapter could be defined by Silicon Valley money—or by the absence of it. Stay tuned. The bidding war is just getting started.