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Jim Irsay Net Worth | How Much Does He Make?

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For many people, Jim Irsay net worth is as important as the Indianapolis Colts. Over the years, so much respect and relevance have been attached to Jim Irsay. No doubt, this is necessary as the Indianapolis Colts have performed exceedingly well under his leadership.

For people who know nothing about Jim Irsay, they would say he was just the luckiest son of a sick businessman. This begs the question “Is that all there is to Jim Irsay?”

We bet your answer to that would be the big NO after reading this article. You’d be able to tell if Jim Irsay net worth is a product of his hard work or just some inheritance. If you’re also curious about the other parts that make up Jim’s life, here’s the chance to get your fill.

This article has everything there is on Jim Irsay net worth, age, background, family, career, and more. If you’re ready, let’s dive in!

Who Is Jim Irsay?

Who exactly is this highly respected man in the world of American sports today? Why is there so much noise about him when you look him up on the internet? How did he rise to fame? We bet these were the exact questions running through your mind as you searched Jim Irsay on the internet.

Jim Irsay is one of the most successful businessmen in American sports. Name him an entrepreneur, footballer, franchise owner, sportsman, and you’d be very correct. However, the title our man is popularly known as is the CEO of Indianapolis Colts.

The Indianapolis Colts is one of the most successful teams in professional American football. The team mostly competes in the National Football League (NFL).

Most of the people who know Jim from a distance have compelled themselves to believe what isn’t true. While it is very true that Jim Irsay inherited the Indianapolis Colts from his father, Robert Bob Irsay. It isn’t true that Jim Irsay net worth or today’s Indianapolis Colt is just an inheritance.

After Jim inherited the Indianapolis Colts from his father, Robert, he4 has worked very hard to keep it at the top. Since he assumed full leadership in 1997, the Indianapolis Colts have brought home nine division championships. They have also won a Super Bowl and thirteen playoff bids.

Ask anyone familiar with American football, these are huge achievements. When Jim inherited his father’s business, it was worth only about $150 million. However, as of today, the business as a whole is worth an estimated $3.3 billion.

There is a lot to know about Jim Irsay. A lot that you’ll only find out by reading this detailed article about him. we’ll talk deep things about Jim Irsay as we progress. We’ll also talk about Jim Irsay net worth in the latter part of this article.

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Jim Irsay’s Place of Birth and Early Life

Let’s hop onto where Jim Irsay was born and how he grew up. Jim was born on June 13, 1959, to non-American parents. His mother, Harriet Pogorzelski was from Poland. And his father, Robert Bob Irsay was from Hungary.

However, both of them had migrated to the United States along with their parents. Harriet and Robert birthed Jim in Lincolnwood, Illinois.

His parents also had different religious backgrounds. His father was Jewish while his mom was Catholic. However, Jim was raised as a Catholic. According to Jim, he didn’t know his father was from a Jewish family up to when he was 14.

Jim Irsay lived in Illinois for some time before he and his family moved to Pennsylvania. The first high school he attended was Loyola Academy. It was a private Catholic high school based in Wilmette, Illinois.

When his family moved to Pennsylvania, he changed schools. This time he attended Mercersburg Academy, an independent high school in Pennsylvania. Jim completed his high school education in 1978.

Upon graduation from high school, he got admitted to Southern Methodist College in 1982. He graduated from college with a BA in Broadcast Journalism. However, not once did he practice as a journalist. He was too busy learning the rudiments of company management and playing football.

Jim had always loved the game of football. He started playing when he was very young. When he got to college, he joined the college’s football team. He played for a footbal team called SMU Mustangs up to the day Jim got his ankle injured. It was a serious injury that ended Jim’s career as a footballer.

Jim Irsay’s Personal Life and Family

Jim grew up in a very realistic family. His mother though stern was a very good woman. However, his father’s attitude was unpredictable. Sometimes, he was nice and friendly. Other times, he was aggressive, arrogant, and on drugs. Some sources said he was barely ever sober.

Jim’s Father, Robert was quite a successful businessman. However, he had a love for drugs and alcohol that had a way of messing him up most of the time. While growing up, Jim would often avoid his father when he got immersed in that world of his.

Some of Robert’s old friends have also described him as ruthless, short-tempered, and meddlesome. However one thing stands out, they’ve mostly referred to him as generous.

Jim is the last child of his parents. He had two older siblings- Thomas and Roberta. When Thomas was born, he was diagnosed with a mental disability. He however survived it until 1991 when he eventually died. Roberta, his sister, was only a teenager when she fell victim to a car accident in 1971.

As the youngest and only child left, Jim had to be actively involved in his father’s business. Jim tried a lot not to be like his father as he said. However, his arrest in 2014 got a lot of fans thinking if he eventually gave in.

In March 2014, Jim was caught by the Police while driving intoxicated. The officers also confiscated the drugs he had on him. He had to go for rehabilitation. He was also suspended from six NFL games after this.

His parents divorced in 1988 and his father died of a heart attack in January 1997. In 1980, Jim got married to Meg Coyle. The duo has three children. They are Carlie Irsay Gordon, Casey, and Kalen.

Jim was married to Meg for a long time before they separated in 2003. However, it wasn’t until November 2013 that Meg filed for a divorce.

His daughter, Carlie, has become the vice-chairman of the Indianapolis Colts. When Jim went to rehab in 2014, it was Carlie that led the team.

Jim may be the CEO of a football club. However, it isn’t just football that interests him. Jim published his poetry “Frozen Lakes of the Confessor” as a tribute to his late friend. He also loves to sing and play the guitar.

Jim appeared in the mockumentary TV Series “Parks and Recreation”. He was in the episodes Fluoride and Two Parties where he played himself.

Jim Irsay’s Height and Weight

Apart from Jim Irsay net worth, another thing you should know is his height and weight. The CEO of Indianapolis Colts is 5ft 9 inches (180cm) tall. Also, he weighs 220 pounds (100kg).

Jim Irsay’s Career

Jim Irsay Net Worth

President George W. Bush shows the signed cowboy hat presented to him by Indianapolis Colts team owner and CEO Jim Irsay, left, during the White House ceremony to honor the Super Bowl champions Monday, April 23, 2007. Image credit: Eric Draper, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Jim’s father, Robert Irsay purchased the Baltimore Colts when Jim was 12. At the time, Jim was just a young lad learning to play football. The Baltimore colts was a football team that played in Baltimore, Maryland.

However, they didn’t remain the Baltimore Colts for long as Robert soon whisked them from Baltimore to Indianapolis. As Jim grew, he became actively involved in the business.

He was very familiar with the team members. He traveled, ate, and slept with them. When he graduated from Southern Methodist College, he joined the business professionally.

By the time he was named the General Manager in 1984, he had served in all sections of the business. He got first-hand experience in everything from selling tickets to public relations.

Jim proved to be a very skilled businessman. Even while his father was alive, he made several positive contributions to the business.

In 1995, Robert Irsay suffered a stroke. This led to Jim managing the day-to-day affairs of the business. He was given the title of senior executive vice-president. He also became the Chief Operating Officer in 1996.

Jim’s father died in 1997 at the age of 73. Robert’s death led to a legal battle between Jim and his step-mom. Robert had gotten married to Nancy Clifford in 1989 after he divorced Harriet. Now, it was Jim and Nancy competing for ownership of the business.

Jim eventually won the war, making him the youngest NFL team owner. He was just 37 at the time. After Jim became the CEO, he began to do things differently from his father. Actually, he had sworn to be better than his father. He said he would be kind and rational.

He learned a lot from his father’s mistakes and wasn’t about to go down the road his father did. He planned to remain football-savvy and become one of the best NFL owners.

Jim has spent his life living these promises. It was under his leadership that the Indianapolis Colts won their first Super Bowl title. They have also nailed 9 division championships and 13 playoff bids.

Jim Irsay has led the Indianapolis Colts to become one of the best NFL teams. As of now, the team is worth an estimated $3.3 billion.

Jim Irsay’s Awards and Collectibles

Jim Irsay is a very successful man. However, his position as CEO over the years has not earned him many awards. Jim Irsay net worth may be worth the talk but not his awards. At some point, he was named the best Twitter account by the NFL Pop Culture Awards.

This is because he is one of those sports CEOs, if not the only one that is very active on Twitter. He has taken the social media space as an avenue to celebrate his team and share their wins. He also empathizes with their fall on the platform.

Once, he was also awarded as the community ambassador of hope. This was given to him by the Hope for Depression Research Foundation in 2021. Jim had done a lot to raise awareness for mental health disorders.

Jim Irsay may not be able to boast of a lot of awards. However, do not underestimate him when it comes to collectibles.

Jim Irsay may be the CEO of a football club, but he’d never let it get in the way of his music. As an ardent music lover, he has collected memorabilia of some important music persons.

He bought Bob Dylan’s electric guitar in 2014. In 2016, he also bought Prince’s electric guitar. Other guitars he has purchased include Paul McCartney’s, George Harrison’s, Les Paul’s, Elvis Presley’s, and Jerry Garcia’s.

Apart from guitars, Jim bought the original manuscript of “On the Road”. In 2018, he also bought the original printing of Alcoholics Anonymous. The book was said to contain handwritten notes by the author, Bill Wilson.

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Jim Irsay’s Net Worth and Bio Summary

Now, let’s talk about Jim Irsay net worth. After learning about Jim Irsay, you must have wondered “what is Jim Irsay net worth?”

As of 2022, Jim Irsay net worth is estimated to be $3.5 billion. Contrary to popular opinion, this is not inherited money. Jim Irsay net worth is a product of his hard work and excellent leadership over the years.

Jim Irsay came into the business when he was as young as 12. He was learning from his father the whole time. Before he became CEO, he had served in all sections of the organization. He was able to raise the company from $150 million to the billions it is worth today.

This is why Jim Irsay is often seen on the list of top successful businessmen in the American Sports Industry. Indianapolis Colts is expected to be around for a long time. One reason for this prediction is Jim’s daughter, Carlie is as passionate as her father about the business.

As long as Indianapolis Colts continue to succeed, Jim Irsay net worth will continue to increase.

NameJim Irsay
Real NameJames Jim Irsay
Age62
Place of BirthLincolnwood, Illinois, USA
OccupationCEO of Indianapolis Colts
Net Worth Estimate$3.5 billion
Siblings2
Date of BirthJune 13, 1959
Marital StatusDivorced
Kids3