Surrounded by Business
Some people simply know a good deal when they see it. This seems to be the case with Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys NFL team in Dallas, Texas. From an early age, Jerry was taught about business. At just nine years old, he entered the workforce as a door greeter for Pat’s Supermarket, the small grocery store owned by his parents. After high school graduation, Jerry’s father, Pat, became president and chairman of Modern Security Life Insurance Co. – which saw an assets increase of $6M in 4 years. Later, after Jerry graduated from University of Arkansas, he was named executive vice president of the same company.
Making His Millions
Jerry Jones started his personal fortune through oil. He made his first $1M from oil investments in the 1970s. He has continued venturing in oil, including becoming the controlling shareholder for Comstock Resources, a Texas oil and gas company. Jerry invests in drilling opportunities, as well as retail and residential real estate projects. And, of course, he owns one of the most well-known sports teams in the country.* He purchased the Dallas Cowboys from $150M in 1989. The team is now worth approximately $8B (as of August 2022).
Like most people who are worth more than a hundred bucks, Jerry has been blasted in the media for a variety of reasons. Skeletons fall out of closets when people start opening doors. Despite it all, it is impossible to deny that the man knows how to handle business. You simply cannot be worth $13.2B without understanding how to move money.
*When I have visited Europe and told people that I am from Texas, I got a few different reactions / questions. A few asked if it was true that I would ride a horse to school every day. More than a few, though, gave a hearty “How ’bout dem Cowboys?”
