Age, Biography, and Wiki
Jim Irsay was born on June 13, 1959, to Robert Irsay, who moved the Colts from Baltimore to Indianapolis in 1984. Irsay became the owner of the Colts after his father's passing in 1997. He passed away on May 22, 2025, at the age of 65.
| Occupation | Billionaire |
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| Date of Birth | 13 June 1959 |
| Age | 66 Years |
| Birth Place | Lincolnwood, Illinois, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Gemini |
| Country | U.S |
| Date of death | 21 May, 2025 |
| Died Place | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Height, Weight & Measurements
There is no publicly available information on Jim Irsay's height or weight.
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Dating & Relationship Status
Irsay was married and had three daughters: Carlie, Casey, and Kalen. His daughters were actively involved in the Colts organization.
His father was from a Hungarian Jewish family, and his mother was the daughter of Polish Catholic immigrants. Irsay was raised Catholic and did not know about his father's Jewish heritage until he was fourteen.
Irsay was 12 years old when his father, Robert Irsay, acquired the Baltimore Colts, after initially purchasing the Los Angeles Rams for $12 million and immediately swapping franchises with Colts owner Carroll Rosenbloom. He spent time around the team as a youth, including serving as an on-field ball boy and working in the ticket office helping to answer the phones.
After his father suffered a stroke in 1995, Jim assumed day-to-day management of the club, with the modified title of "senior executive vice president, general manager and chief operating officer". When his father died in 1997, Jim engaged in a legal battle with his stepmother over ownership of the team and later became the youngest NFL team owner at 37.
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Net Worth and Salary
Jim Irsay's net worth was estimated to be between $4.8 billion and $5.8 billion at the time of his passing. His wealth was derived from his ownership of the Colts, valued at over $3 billion, and other investments, including a highly valued collection of music memorabilia.
Career, Business, and Investments
- Indianapolis Colts: Irsay took control of the Colts in 1997 and led the team to a Super Bowl XLI victory in 2007. During his tenure, the Colts experienced a golden era with players like Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison.
- Music Memorabilia: Irsay was a passionate collector of music memorabilia. His collection included items like Kurt Cobain's MTV Unplugged guitar and items once owned by John Lennon and Bob Dylan. The collection was valued at over $1 billion.
- Philanthropy: Irsay was known for his philanthropic efforts, including a $20 million investment to relocate a whale from an aquarium back to its natural habitat.
James Irsay (June 13, 1959 – May 21, 2025) was an American billionaire businessman who was the principal owner, chairman, and CEO of the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL) from 1997 until his death in 2025.
Irsay attended high school at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb just north of Chicago; and at Mercersburg Academy, Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, graduating in 1978. After high school, he attended, and graduated from, Southern Methodist University in 1982 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcast journalism. Irsay played linebacker for the SMU Mustangs football team as a walk-on, but an ankle injury ended his playing career.
Irsay came under scrutiny in November 2022 when he fired Colts head coach Frank Reich after a 3–5–1 start to the season and replaced him with former Colts player Jeff Saturday as interim head coach. Saturday previously had no coaching experience beyond the high school football level, and was employed as an NFL analyst for ESPN at the time of his hiring.
Social Network
Details about Irsay's social media presence are limited, but he was active in public engagements and announcements related to the Colts and his philanthropic efforts.
Irsay purchased guitars originally owned by Elvis Presley, George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Jerry Garcia ("Tiger"), Prince, Les Paul (his 1954 Black Beauty), and other notable performers. His purchases have set records: In 2014 he bought the electric guitar that Bob Dylan played at Newport for just under US$1 million and in 2017 he paid US$2.2 million for a Ludwig drum set belonging to Ringo Starr. On June 20, 2019, Irsay paid a record $3.975 million for a guitar, known as The Black Strat, formerly owned by Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. On May 23, 2022, Irsay paid a record $4.6 million for the 1969 Fender Mustang played by Nirvana's Kurt Cobain in the music video for "Smells Like Teen Spirit". In 2023, Irsay acquired the saddle used by Secretariat when he won the American Triple Crown in 1973. He also purchased the boots Muhammad Ali wore during his famous “Thrilla in Manila” fight against Joe Frazier, the volleyball Wilson from the movie Cast Away, and letters from Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson.
Education
There is no specific information available about Jim Irsay's formal education.
After graduating from SMU in 1982, he joined the Colts' professional staff. Irsay was initially given an orientation in all facets of the administrative and football operations of the Colts before being added to the personnel department ahead of the 1983 season. His initial duties included college scouting and breaking down of film in addition to administrative tasks.
From the time he joined the organization in 1984, Irsay worked with numerous Pro Football Hall of Fame coaches, players, and executives, including Eric Dickerson (Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 1999), Marshall Faulk (2011), Bill Polian (2015), Tony Dungy (2016), Marvin Harrison (2016), Edgerrin James (2020), and Peyton Manning (2021).
Irsay and his family donated to various projects and programs across Indiana, including the Irsay Family YMCA, the downtown Indianapolis Colts Canal Playspace, Riley Hospital for Children, Wheeler Mission Center for Women & Children, and Indiana University's Irsay Research Institute.
In December 2021, the Irsay family donated $3 million to Indiana University to create a research institute dedicated to studying mental health and the stigma associated with it. The donation was an extension of Kicking The Stigma. Named the Irsay Family Research Institute, the center is located on IU's Bloomington campus in Morrison Hall. The center's foci include providing support for research, analyzing sociomedical sciences, encouraging more students to train in the mental health field, and promoting mental health both locally and nationally.
Irsay was a staunch supporter of former Colts head coach Chuck Pagano, who beat acute promyelocytic leukemia after being diagnosed in September 2012. Pagano, who was head coach of the team from 2012 to 2017, hosts his Chuckstrong Tailgate Gala every year in Indianapolis. Since 2012, the galas have raised more than $12 million for research at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, where Pagano received treatment. The gala has been hosted at the Colts' Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center as well as at Jim Irsay's house. In 2021, Irsay hosted the gala at his home and donated $2 million to the IU cancer research after Pagano made a free throw for $1 million and 10 layups for $100,000 apiece on Irsay's basketball court.
