After her brother Paul Allen’s unfortunate passing in 2018, Jody Allen inherited many diversified investments, including the Seattle Seahawks. Although the largest chunk of that wealth came from being a founding partner of Microsoft, the estate that she now manages is quite thorough.
Since owning the Seahawks in 1997, the Allen family’s estate value has only increased, but how does it compare to other NFL owners?
What Is the Value of the Allen Estate Overseen by Jody?
Paul Allen’s sister, Jody, oversees his estate. At the time of his passing, the family’s net worth was about $20.3 billion.
Paul bought the Seahawks for $194-200 million back in 1997. He went on to build the team a new stadium, hired then-USC coach Pete Carroll, won a Super Bowl, and truly brought together a team and city that was in turmoil before “The 12th Man.”
The Seahawks are also not the only team on the West Coast that Paul purchased after cashing in on his 25% equity in Microsoft. He started Microsoft along with Bill Gates, one of his closest friends whom he met in seventh grade. Gates claims he knew he was a “genius with computers right away,” and the rest is history.
Paul also owned Seattle Sounders FC (an MLS soccer team) and the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers. Though he began with a quarter of Microsoft’s equity when they went public in 1986, he slowly began to cash that into other forms of assets.
Jody continues to be involved in ownership with both the Sounders and the Blazers, though there has been speculation of an eventual sale.
How Do Jody and the Allen Family Continue To Build Their Net Worth?
From there, Paul parlayed his Microsoft earnings into the real estate, private equity, and energy sectors. On both the East Coast and West Coast, he owned more than one million square feet of retail, office, and industrial space. His private fund, Vulcan Capital, was early on companies such as Uber, TicketMaster, and DreamWorks.
Jody continues to run the Paul G. Allen family foundation, which she co-founded. She has the important responsibility of protecting and sustaining the vision the two had when working together in both charitable and business ventures.
One portion of the estate’s wealth and notoriety comes from Paul’s megayacht purchase. Named the Octopus, the yacht launched in 2003 for $200 million and has even been loaned out for scientific and marine projects and exploration.
Additionally, a large chunk of the Allen family’s wealth comes from its art collection. In August 2022, the estate made 150 of his pieces available. These 150 pieces were estimated to bring in over $1 billion, with all profits going to charity.
Where Does Allen Rank Among NFL Owners?
Before Paul’s death in October 2018, he was far and away the wealthiest NFL owner.
Jody is still on the wealthier end of the spectrum regarding the richest owners. She slots fourth in terms of highest owner net worth, with David Tepper above her by a shade under a billion dollars.
Although Paul got the ball rolling for the Allen trust, it clearly has been left in more than capable hands. It’s easy to see the direction Jody has progressed, leaving nothing but the sky as the limit for what she can do to her individual value.