Money can buy an NFL franchise at a $9.612 valuation, but can it buy fandom?
Vinod and Neeru Khosla were approved as the new majority owners of the Seahawks this week, but Vinod’s introductory press conference on Wednesday came with an odd admission.
“I also happened to come to this country in ’76 when the Steelers were winning the Super Bowl, so actually I was originally and still am a big Steelers fan,” he said.
“Also, little known fact, but I still watch all the Steelers games, too.”
The Steelers were a juggernaut in the 1970s, winning four Super Bowls (1974, ’75, ’78 and ’79), with a franchise that included the likes of Franco Harris, “Mean” Joe Greene, Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert and Terry Bradshaw during those year.
It makes sense Khosla — who emigrated to the US from India in 1976 to attend an MBA program at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Mellon — would get swept up in a dynasty.
“He’s been a big fan of sports and in particular football, so he’s wanted forever to get involved in actually strategizing,” Neeru said. “So he’s the one who actually really pushed us into doing this. He’s worked really hard so I’m very proud of him.”
The 71-year-old has put together powerhouse portfolio of his own, co-founding Sun Microsystems and becoming a venture capitalist with a Forbes-estimated $13.3 billion.
Khosla, who became a non-controlling, limited partner in the 49ers in May 2025, is seemingly hoping to bring some of that Steelers magic to the West Coast, turning the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks into a dynasty of his very own.
“The task ahead is actually pretty simple — keep the winning streak alive, get another Super Bowl,” he said. “That simple. In general, our approach is generally going to be long-termed focused. That’s our inclination always. So, keep winning, take a long-term approach and learn a lot. We don’t know enough.
“… The other owners have been incredibly welcoming and willing to teach us, and so we’ll learn a lot. We’ll learn a lot from management and see what they are recommending. So we’ll just be in learning mode for quite some time.”
Khosla’s tenure gets off to a start with a Super Bowl 2026 rematch against the Patriots on Sept. 9 at Seattle’s Lumen Field.
There won’t be any questions who he’ll be rooting for in that game, at least.
