Jody Allen's Philanthropic Vision: Selling Seahawks for Charity After Super Bowl Triumph
Jody Allen, the chair and trustee of the Seattle Seahawks, has captured headlines following the team's decisive 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60 on February 8, 2026. Amid the celebration, reports from Fortune indicate that Allen plans to sell the National Football League (NFL) team and donate the proceeds to charitable causes, marking a significant shift in the franchise's ownership.
Who is Jody Allen and Her Family Legacy?
At 67 years old, Jody Allen is a prominent figure in the sports and philanthropic worlds. She inherited the Seattle Seahawks and the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association from her late brother, Paul Allen, the Microsoft co-founder who passed away in 2018 after battling non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Paul Allen, with no spouse or children, was worth approximately $20 billion at the time of his death and is credited with revitalizing the Seahawks after purchasing the team for $197 million in 1997.
Since taking over the estate, Jody Allen has focused on philanthropic efforts, primarily in the Pacific Northwest, through arts, education, and environmental initiatives. She co-founded the Allen Family Philanthropies (formerly the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation) with her brother in 1988 when she was 29. Additionally, Allen serves as cofounder and chair of the Allen Institute, a Seattle-based bioscience research nonprofit, and is a founding director of Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture.
Speculation Over Asset Sales for Charity
Paul Allen's will stipulated that his assets, including the Seahawks, Trail Blazers, and a 25% stake in the MLS’s Seattle Sounders, be sold to fund his charitable foundations. Jody Allen appears to be moving forward with this directive. In September 2025, the Allen estate entered a formal agreement to sell the Trail Blazers for an estimated $4 billion, as reported by Fortune. Reuters has also noted buzz around a potential Seahawks sale following the Super Bowl.
When questioned about the Seahawks, a spokesperson for the estate told Fortune that there are no immediate plans for a sale, but acknowledged that "that will change at some point." In 2022, Jody Allen refuted similar speculation in a press release, stating, "estates of this size and complexity can take 10 to 20 years to wind down. There is no preordained timeline by which the teams must be sold. Until then, my focus—and that of our teams—is on winning." Ahead of the Super Bowl, a club spokesman reiterated to Reuters, "We don't comment on rumors or speculation, and the team is not for sale. We've already said that will change at some point per Paul's wishes, but I have no news to share. Our focus right now is winning the Super Bowl and completing the sale of the Portland Trail Blazers in the coming months."
Jody Allen's Net Worth and Estate Details
Estimating Jody Allen's exact net worth is challenging due to her private nature and the complexity of managing a massive estate. According to a report by Spanish publication Marca, citing data from business insider 1075TheFan.com, her personal net worth is approximately $20 billion. This places the Allen estate among the top four in terms of net worth among NFL owners, highlighting the significant financial impact of the potential Seahawks sale.
As the sports world watches closely, Jody Allen's commitment to philanthropy and her brother's legacy continues to shape the future of these iconic teams, with the Seahawks' recent Super Bowl victory adding a poignant chapter to this ongoing story.
