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As most NFL fans know, Jerry Jones’ net worth is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the owner of the Dallas Cowboys. Jones is obviously one of the richest NFL owners and has helped to create one of the greatest NFL teams of all time. After all, the Cowboys have long been known as America’s team, so Jones must be doing something right.
Who is Jerry Jones?
But who is Jerry Jones outside of the Dallas Cowboys owner’s net worth? There has to be more to him than being just another rich guy who owns a pro sports team.
We promise that there is a lot more to know about him than just Jerry Jones’ net worth. Let’s see what else we can learn about the famous owner of the Cowboys.
What is Jerry Jones’ net worth?
Jerry Jones’ net worth is almost too much to fathom. As of 2023, estimates put his net worth in the area of $13.4 billion.
That sum is the result of many business ventures, including being the owner of the Cowboys, and a lot of hard work that Jones has put in over more than half a century.
How old is Jerry Jones?
Jerry Jones’ age is almost as impressive as his net worth. He was born in October 1942, meaning Jones turned 80 in the fall of 2022.
Yet, he remains very much engaged with the Cowboys and his other interests, meaning the three children and eight grandchildren of Jerry Jones may not be cashing an inheritance check anytime soon.
Where did Jerry Jones grow up?
Despite being born in Los Angeles, Jerry Jones grew up in North Little Rock, Arkansas, where his family moved when he was still a toddler.
He grew up in Arkansas, attending North Little Rock High School while his parents owned two grocery stores. Naturally, Jones worked at one of the stores, performing a number of tasks, including carving holes into the store’s watermelons so that customers could see if they were ripe or not.
What state does Jerry Jones love the most?
While Jones loves the Cowboys and the state of Texas, his first love is the state of Arkansas, where he grew up.
After high school, Jones attended the University of Arkansas, playing on the football team as an offensive lineman for Hall of Fame coach Frank Broyles. Jones was listed at just 6’ and 182 pounds but his tenacity and heart helped to make him one of the team’s best blockers. He was named team captain in 1964, leading the Razorbacks to the national championship.
Did Jerry Jones almost buy another team?
Every NFL fan associates the Cowboys with Jones. But if a few things had happened differently, we’d all associate Jones with the Chargers. When he was just 23, Jones worked with a group of investors from Missouri and agreed to buy the Chargers for $5.8 million.
However, when Jones’ father Pat found out about the deal, he talked his son out of the deal because the Chargers were an AFL franchise and Pat believed buying an AFL team would be a bad investment. That prompted Jones to withdraw his offer for the Chargers. Of course, the AFL eventually merged with the NFL and the Chargers were later sold for $10 million.
More than two decades later, Jones finally made his dream of owning an NFL team come true, buying the Cowboys for $140 million from H.R. “Bum” Bright. Jones quickly got to work running the franchise his way.
In 1989, soon after taking over the team, Jones fired the legendary Tom Landry and hired Jimmy Johnson, who had no previous experience coaching in the NFL but was a teammate of Jones at Arkansas and had led the Miami Hurricanes to a national championship in 1987. Jones also fired the GM Tex Schramm and took over all football operations himself.
While those moves seemed like mistakes at first with the Cowboys going 1-15 in 1989, by the 1992 season, the Cowboys won their first of three Super Bowls under Jones.
How much are the Cowboys worth today?
Jones has made good on his investment in the Cowboys. After buying them for $140 million, not only has he guided them to multiple Super Bowl wins but he’s also made them one of the most valuable sports franchises in the world with their value estimated at $8 billion.
How did Jerry Jones meet his wife?
Believe it or not, Jones met his wife Gene on a blind date. Both were students at the University of Arkansas and were set up on a blind date together while joining a few friends at a local fair.
Embarrassingly, Jones failed to win Gene a stuffed animal playing carnival games, so he merely bought one instead. Jerry and Gene, a former Miss Arkansas USA winner, have been together since, marrying in 1963 and having three kids.
Do Jerry Jones’ kids work for the Cowboys?
All three of Jones’ kids make their living as employees of the Cowboys. His eldest son Stephen has a degree in chemical engineering but works as the executive vice president, COO, and director of player personnel for the Cowboys. Stephen is credited with convincing his father not to draft Johnny Manziel, likely saving the franchise from an embarrassing mistake that could have set the Cowboys back several years.
His daughter Charlotte is the team’s executive vice president and chief brand officer. Finally, Jerry Jones Jr. is the chief sales and marketing vice president for the Cowboys.
Does Jerry Jones have a soft side?
Most people view Jones as a strong and sometimes shrewd businessman. However, he does have a soft side, admitting to openly crying on multiple occasions, albeit always after a Cowboys loss.
In an interview, Jones admitted that he cried after the Cowboys lost the 1995 NFC Championship Game, after the Cowboys lost to the Texans in the 2002 season opener, and after the Cowboys lost to the Giants in the 2007 playoffs.
