New Seahawks Owner Vinod Khosla’s Candid Online Presence Is a Unique Change for the Franchise

The Khosla family’s purchase of the Seahawks franchise was only approved by NFL owners three days ago, but new owner Vinod Khosla is already making an impression—on social media.

In July, the Paul Allen Estate agreed to sell the Seahawks to the Khosla family for $9.612 billion, and this past week, NFL ownership unanimously approved the sale. Vinod’s wife, Neeru Khosla, will be the controlling owner of the Seahawks while the couple’s son, Neal, is also expected to be involved in ownership.

When the impending purchase was first announced last month, Vinod foreshadowed his social media presence by writing on X, “Excited to be part of this great franchise. Also excited to see the money all go to a non-profit. No other comments till sale is final.”

Now that the purchase is official, Vinod is back to commenting on his franchise. After the sale was approved, Vinod noted that he was “originally, and still am a big Steelers fan,” because he came to the United States during the Steelers’ dynasty in the 1970s. Vinod was born in India, and attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh after moving to the U.S.

His comments about being a Steelers fan and still watching their games went viral, even incurring criticism by some as he takes over a different franchise. Vinod addressed the criticism directly on social media, responding on X to a Barstool Sports post, “Reporters will make every molehill into a mountain just to get column inches to write or video minutes. What’s wrong with admitting my 1976-78 period in Pittsburgh (CMU) got me excited about the NFL? I still watch their games doesn’t mean I won't unconditionally ALWAYS as owner, want the Seahawks to win and have every edge up, EVERY TIME over every other team!!!! Zero questions!!! At the other end is a set of teams I always want to lose every advantage. But happy to have the sports writer getting more column inches and fill their pages. You are welcome. Apologies in advance for my very transparent style.”

Reporters will make every molehill into a mountain just to get column inches to write or video minutes. What’s wrong with admitting my 1976-78 period in Pittsburgh (CMU) got me excited about the NFL? I still watch their games doesn’t mean I won't unconditionally ALWAYS as… https://t.co/yyWgeJgIts
— Vinod Khosla (@vkhosla) August 28, 2026

Along with this response, Vinod has been active on social media by calling the Seahawks’ extension of defensive tackle Leonard Williams a “great move,” complimenting a local beat reporter and responding to comments from fans, including to a fan noting he doesn’t need an apostrophe in spelling “the 12s.”

Vinod’s transparent approach is a stark contrast to most owners across the NFL, and particularly in comparison to the Seahawks’ previous ownership. The Seahawks were owned by Paul Allen and then run by his sister, Jody Allen, following his death. Paul and Jody rarely spoke to the media, holding little public presence as the team’s owners.

Across the NFL, it is uncommon for owners to be active on social media. Many owners will address the media a few times a year in a press conference setting. Some make appearances on local media spots, such as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, but the Jones family is also in charge of the team’s personnel moves, so they have a different role altogether.

49ers owner Jed York will occasionally post on X, most recently celebrating Roger Craig’s Hall of Fame induction. In the past, Jets owner Woody Johnson would also post in support of his players, though he hasn’t been very active since the 2024 season. Late Colts owner Jim Irsay was also active on social media prior to his death in 2025, often wishing a happy birthday to current and former Colts. One of his daughters, Kalen Jackson, who co-owns the team with sisters Carlie Irsay-Gordon and Casey Foyt, is also active on social media—though Irsay-Gordon serves as the team’s CEO.

There are, however, a few social media-savvy owners in other sports. Mark Cuban, who was previously the Mavericks’ majority owner and still holds a minority stake in the franchise, is often active on X. Mets owner Steve Cohen has also taken to X to speak on the team, notably apologizing to fans last September when they failed to make the playoffs. NBA legend Magic Johnson, who is part of the ownership group of the Commanders, Dodgers, Sparks, Spirit and Los Angeles FC, often takes to social media to congratulate his teams and players on their achievements.

It’s unclear if Vinod will continue to interact with fans and media on social media once the regular season begins. For now, the Khoslas note that their priority is to learn and keep the Seahawks’ winning ways going as they take over the team.

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