Jim Irsay, Indianapolis Colts
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS | JIM IRSAY | OWNER, CEO | AGE: 59
Education:Southern Methodist University
How They Acquired the Franchise: Irsay inherited the franchise in 1997 after the death of his father, Robert. The Colts came into the family in ’72 when Robert exchanged his ownership stake in the Los Angeles Rams for ownership of the then-Baltimore Colts. Robert controversially moved the Colts from Baltimore to Indianapolis in the middle of the night in 1984 to avoid the city seizing ownership of the Colts by eminent domain.
Net Worth: $2.7 billion (per Forbes, 2018)
Franchise Valuation: $2.375 billion (per Forbes in 2017)
How They Made Their Money: Irsay has made the majority of his wealth from the Colts.
In the Owner’s Words: Irsay told the Indianapolis Business Journal in 2006: “I look at myself as a steward. And a good owner always keeps the fans at heart. We want this [the Colts] to be a vehicle that pulls this community together.”
“If you want to operate a shoestring franchise,” Irsay said, “you can make a lot of money every year. That's something I want no part of. There’s tremendous pride in winning.”
Political Donations: Irsay has donated to both sides of the aisle in recent years. Most notably, he contributed $25K in late 2016 to the Senate Majority PAC, a super PAC dedicated to building a democratic majority in the U.S. Senate.
NFL Committees: Legislative Committee, Super Bowl & Major Events Advisory Committee, Finance Committee.
Next in Line: Irsay has three daughters, Carlie, Casey and Kalen, each of whom took on greater day-to-day responsibilities during Jim’s inpatient treatment for a drug-related arrest in 2014. All three have the title of Vice Chair/Owner, while Kalen serves on the Employee Benefits Committee and Carlie serves on the Digital Media Committee.
