Photo: All-Pro Reels / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)

Jim Irsay

ジム・アーセイ　/　じむ・あーせい

American entrepreneur

June 13, 1959 (age 66)　・　Lincolnwood, Illinois, United States

Illinois
entrepreneur

My Take

Jim Irsay's passing in 2025 closed one of the NFL's most human ownership stories. He was never a distant financier; he grew up inside the Colts, ran the front office in his twenties, and steered the franchise from 1997 until his death. What moves me is how openly he lived — flaws, eccentricities, and an unguarded love for the team that most billionaires outsource to spokespeople. The 4.8 billion dollar fortune is the least interesting fact about him. To me, Irsay represents a vanishing breed: an owner for whom the team was identity, inheritance, and life's work all at once. The league feels more corporate without him.

Overview

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, having previously served as general manager of the Colts from 1984 to 1996. At the time of his death, Forbes estimated his net worth at US$4.8 billion.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

1. Profile

Name (English): Jim Irsay
Name (Japanese): ジム・アーセイ
Reading: じむ・あーせい
Born: June 13, 1959 (age 66)
Zodiac / Chinese zodiac: Gemini / Boar
Origin: Lincolnwood, Illinois, United States
Blood type: Private
Height: Private
Agency: Private
Occupation: entrepreneur

2. Background

Elementary school: Private
Junior high: Private
High school: Private
University: Southern Methodist University

3. Relationships

Spouse: Private
Children: Private
Parents: Private
Siblings: Private

4. Personality

Motto

Private

6. Links

Xhttps://x.com/JimIrsay
Wikipedia (Japanese)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim%20Irsay

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