Who is Jim Irsay? Everything you need to know about Indianapolis Colts owner
Jim Irsay is the current Indianapolis Colts owner as he has been since 1997. His father purchased the Colts franchise, then located in Baltimore, in 1972 when Jim Irsay was 12 years old.
When the Baltimore Colts relocated to Indianapolis in 1984, Jim Irsay became the Vice President and General Manager in 1984. After his father suffered a stroke in 1995, Jim Irsay took charge of the entire operation in 1996 and became the youngest NFL owner in 1997 after his father died.
Jim Irsay net worth
Jim Irsay is presumed to have a net worth of about 3.5 billion USD, which places him #333 on the Forbes 400 list of 2021 and #1008 in the Billionaires List of 2021. His entire fortune comes from the ownership of the Indianapolis Colts since he has been associated with its operation all his adult life.
Jim Irsay did his Bachelor's in Journalism from Southern Methodist University and played football for them. But he was always part of the Colts football team, traveling in their team bus and living with them in his summer camps.
It is also noticeable that while his father purchased the franchise, Jim Irsay has been much more successful as an owner when it comes to achievements on the sporting field.
Under his stewardship, the Colts have had 14 winning seasons and won one Super Bowl. He has also been lucky in having Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck - two of the most NFL-ready quarterbacks to ever come out of college - be at the helm of the franchise for a significant part.
Top 10 teams in win% since Irsay took over the Colts in 1997 --> Jim Irsay: The owner who's willing to lose indy.st/2eN95gX https://t.co/DrfZsX8D6Q
Beyond the daily operations, Jim Irsay is fond of rock music. He owns guitars and other musical instruments of various rock legends such as Price, Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, Elvis Presley, and the Beatles.
Jim Irsay's penchant for memorabilia collection also extends to original manuscripts. He owns the original manuscript of 'On the Road' by Jack Kerouac and the original printing of 'Alcoholics Anonymous' containing hand-written notes by AA founder Bill Wilson.
The founding document of AA (the “Big Book,”) sold at auction for $2.4 million to billionaire Jim Irsay. The auction house Profiles in History announced the sale of the manuscript with Bill's handwritten notes. #aa #recovery https://t.co/E020vzhkgk
Jim Irsay has been married once. He married Meg Coyle in 1980 and divorced in 2013. He was known to have an on-off relationship with Kimberly Wundrum, who tragically lost her life too young. Jim Irsay is also known to be popular among fans for giving away Colts tickets and other merchandise in his direct interactions with them either personally or on social media.
Jim Irsay is a man steeped in the Indianapolis Colts but with varied interests and passions outside football. He has led a rich life, in more ways than one, since he inherited the team from his father.