The champagne barely had time to go flat. One minute, the Seattle Seahawks were on top of the football world, Lombardi in hand. Ten days later, word got out that a sale process was already underway, an unexpected twist for a franchise at its peak. Early chatter even linked the potential deal to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

The rumor mill kicked back into overdrive on Thursday, with fresh reports tying both Zuckerberg and Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, to a potential bid for the Seahawks, a franchise on the market that could command north of $10 billion. But as the reports made rounds on the internet, representatives for both executives stepped in to clear things up.

“Glad we could intercept the rumors on this one: Mark is not making any investment or bid for the Seattle Seahawks,” a Meta spokesperson revealed, as reported by Bloomberg.

Zuckerberg’s estimated net worth is approximately $208 billion, which makes him one of the richest people in the world, and acquiring the Seahawks wouldn’t leave a big dent on his finances. However, he has expertise and investments in tech businesses, and he currently doesn’t own any professional sports team. Even though the 41-year-old was previously linked to owning the EPL soccer team, Tottenham Hotspur, the deal never materialized. But it doesn’t end here.

Front Office Sports’ Ben Horney had initially mentioned that Zuckerberg and Cook were interested in the Seahawks. But in separate development, a source close to Cook also pushed back on the speculation, saying he is not pursuing a bid for the team. They called the report “completely false”. Cook is also set to step down in September after 15 years at the helm of Apple.

The FOS report said there were four individuals considering a bid, though the identities of the other two prospective buyers were not disclosed.

Since Horney’s report, multiple journalists, including Horney himself, refuted the FOS report.

“Spokespeople for both had ample opportunity to deny our report before it came out,” Horney wrote on X, explaining the reasoning behind his reporting.

Regardless, the sale of the Seattle Seahawks is on its way to be historic, potentially the biggest price tag ever for an NFL franchise. The team remains under the estate of Microsoft Corp. co-founder Paul Allen, who passed away in 2018. His sister Jody Allen is overseeing operations as executor. She’s now guiding the process of selling his holdings.

Allen and his family have been spearheading the Seattle Seahawks for 29 years after Allen bought it in 1997 for around $200 million, blocking its move to California. He was the reason the Seahawks remained in the Emerald City. Besides the NFL team, he owned the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers and a stake in the MLS’s Seattle Sounders FC, giving him experience in owning and successfully running elite sports teams.

Today, eight years after Allen’s passing, the team is on sale because of a legal obligation outlined by the late owner to sell the major assets, including the sports teams he owned. The money from the sale will be donated to a charity that was supported by Allen.

Earlier this year, ESPN reported that the team’s valuation could be somewhere between $7 and $8 billion. However, after the Super Bowl glory, it was reported that the price could be between $9 billion and $11 billion, which would be a significant jump. As the buzz grows around the next owner of the Seahawks, Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer recently entered the picture as a possible option.

Steve Ballmer is linked to buying the Seattle Seahawks

The former Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, has also been linked with buying the Seattle Seahawks. The 70-year-old is well-familiar with running sports teams across professional leagues, as he is the owner of the NBA team, the Los Angeles Clippers, buying it for $2 billion in 2014, which was a record deal at that time.

As per BetOnline, he is the frontrunner to be the next owner of the current Super Bowl franchise. At the same time, Polymarket Sports also predicted that Ballmer has 45% chance of becoming the majority owner.

During his working days at Microsoft, Ballmer maintained a close relationship with Paul Allen. Moreover, he has deep ties to Seattle, as he primarily lives in Hunts Point, Washington, with his family. With that, acquiring the Seahawks would feel like owning his home team.

In addition to running a sports team, the Clipper owner has the financial firepower to pull off a move of this magnitude. He has a net worth of $146 billion, per Bloomberg, and is one of the richest humans in the world. With his financial capacity, he can strengthen the already impressive roster of the team while elevating the franchise’s infrastructure to a higher standard.

He is well-known to be an owner actively involved in franchise decisions. Ballmer helped the Clippers build their own stadium and also brought in a lot of measures, including extra courts, to give them a memorable experience.

For a team fresh off a Super Bowl win, it is important to have an owner who understands the value it has in the community, and Ballmer is certainly that. While there are still no official bids, the fanbase will be hoping the right owner comes in and helps them continue competing for Super Bowls.