Prime real estate: Jeff Bezos stock sale could affect Seattle Seahawks future

Before the sale of the Washington Commanders ended with new owner Josh Harris taking over much-maligned Dan Snyder, NFL fans might've forgotten that Amazon founder and one of the richest men in the world, Jeff Bezos, was among the prospective buyers. Ultimately, he was unsuccessful but that doesn't mean he won't try again. And the signs might be pointing us there based on Bezos' latest financial decisions.

According to Chris Katje of Benzinga, Bezos made his second substantial sale of his Amazon stock in the calendar year recently. In February, the founder of the conglomerate sold $8.5 billion worth of his shares. Now, the total sold for 2024 has risen to a total of $13.4 billion after Bezos, per an SEC filing, is selling 25 million more shares, valued at just a hair under $5 billion.

So what does that have to do with his already-stated desire to own an NFL team? Well, the timelines of liquidating some of his substantial capital and what could be happening with the Seattle Seahawks, which just so happen to be in the same city where Amazon is headquartered, might be aligning perfectly.

Is Jeff Bezos preparing to buy the Seattle Seahawks?

Now, to be sure, we don't entirely know what Bezos is planning to do with his now-more-liquidated assets. However, as Katje noted, the timing is quite interesting.

Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft, was the owner of the Seahawks up until he passed away in 2018. Upon his death, it was handed over to the Paul Allen Trust, which has been the owners of the franchise since that time. But Allen's wishes stated that, in due time, the assets entitled to the trust, including the NFL team, would be sold off for "philanthropic efforts". Now six years, roughly, since Allen's death, that sale could be forthcoming shortly.

Bezos' pursuit of the Commanders last year ultimately was fruitless reportedly in part because of a longstanding feud with the previous owner, Snyder, which ultimately hurt the Amazon founder's chances. Thus, it led to Harris' group making the purchase for $6.05 billion. The Seahawks, meanwhile, are reportedly valued somewhere around $5 billion.

As of right now, this remains speculation but it's a rumor that has long been out there that this could be a possibility. In tandem with stepping down as the CEO of Amazon in 2021, Bezos has also since moved from Seattle for Florida. At the same time, his desire to purchase an NFL team married with his ties to the Pacific Northwest could possibly bring him back to the area with the right opportunity.

And as we see, that opportunity may be presenting itself. More importantly, the selling of his stock also may indicate that Bezos is equally readying himself to take advantage of that opportunity.