With 32 teams and owners across the National Football League, few figures are as instantly recognizable as Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones. From his beginnings in a family that once ran grocery stores to becoming one of the wealthiest and most influential figures in sports, Jones’ rise is as remarkable as it is polarizing. Let’s take a closer look at his life, age, and how he built a multibillion-dollar fortune.
Jerry Jones’ Age and Early Life
While most fans know Jerral Wayne “Jerry” Jones as the outspoken owner of the Cowboys, his beginnings were far more modest. Born in Los Angeles, California, in 1942, Jones and his family relocated to North Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1945, where he spent much of his childhood.
Jones attended North Little Rock High School, starring as a running back on the football team. Away from the field, he worked at his parents’ grocery store, Pat’s Super Market, where one of his jobs famously involved carving holes into watermelons so customers could check their ripeness.
His entrepreneurial journey began early, though not without missteps. While still in college, Jones invested in Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, one of the first franchise pizza chains in the United States. Though Shakey’s peaked in popularity during the 1970s, it ultimately shuttered all of its Dallas–Fort Worth locations by 1989, investing a disappointment in hindsight.
After college, Jones went to work for his father, Pat Jones, as an executive vice president at Modern Life Security, the family’s insurance company. When the company was sold in 1970, Jones reportedly walked away with $500,000.
Jones even flirted with NFL ownership early, expressing interest in purchasing the financially struggling San Diego Chargers in 1966. His father, however, advised him against the move.
Instead, Jones pivoted into oil drilling with the Arkansas-based Jones Oil and Land Lease. The venture proved wildly successful, as Jones struck oil in 12 of his first 13 wells. His first well alone reportedly produced $4 million worth of oil.
That success provided the financial foundation that allowed Jones to purchase the Dallas Cowboys in 1989. At the time, the franchise was reportedly losing roughly $1 million per month, but under Jones’ leadership, it would grow into the most valuable sports franchise in the world.
Jones’ Net Worth
Jones’ net worth is estimated to be around $21 billion, according to Forbes. In comparison, Bloomberg gives a conservative estimate of $19.7 billion, with the vast majority of his wealth tied to his ownership of the Dallas Cowboys. Jones purchased the franchise for $150 million in 1989, and over the following decades, its valuation skyrocketed into the billions.
As of 2025, the Cowboys are valued at $13 billion, making them the most valuable sports team in the world. Jones’ income is fueled by massive broadcasting contracts, sponsorships, merchandise sales, and real estate investments, including AT&T Stadium.
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He also holds significant stakes in hospitality and entertainment ventures, most notably Legends Hospitality, which further boosts his earnings beyond football.
However, despite their commercial success, Jones and the Cowboys haven’t delivered results on the field. Dallas hasn’t won a Super Bowl since 1996 and hasn’t appeared in an NFC Championship Game since that same year; the team was also eliminated from the playoffs this season.
