JUMP TO:
- How did Jerry Jones make his money?
- How much did Jerry Jones pay for the Cowboys?
- What is Jerry Jones' net worth in 2025?
- Richest NFL owners
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has a claim to be the most visible executive in North American professional sports. Fittingly, he has become synonymous with the franchise.
Jones purchased the Cowboys in 1989 and in the time since, has been largely responsible for making the franchise a global brand. Under Jones' watch, the Cowboys have won three Super Bowls, while the star logo has become one of the most recognizable logos in all of sports.
To say Jones' calculated risk to buy the Dallas franchise has paid off would be an understatement, but it is a testament to the business acumen he picked up along the path to becoming an NFL owner.
Here's more on Jones' business history and how he made enough money to purchase an NFL franchise in the late 1980s.
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How did Jerry Jones make his money?
Jones made his money through the oil and gas businesses.
After trying his hand at various business ventures in the 1960s, Jones founded Jones Oil and Land Lease in the early 1970s. The company found great success, and Jones quickly became a major player in the oil business.
In 1982, Jones bought oil leases for $15 million. He invested $35 million into drilling and other costs before he and his partner were bought out for $175 million in 1986.
Jones is also believed to hold over $1 billion in Comstock Resources stock. The business is "engaged in oil and gas acquisitions, exploration and development."
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How much did Jerry Jones pay for the Cowboys?
Jones purchased the Cowboys for a price between $140 million and $150 million in 1989, according to the El Paso Times. Adjusting for inflation, that figure would be just shy of $400 million in 2025.
As of August 2025, the Cowboys were valued at $13 billion, per Forbes.
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What is Jerry Jones' net worth in 2025?
Jones' net worth is $19.5 billion as of September 2025, according to Forbes.
He is among the 150 richest people in the world and ranks among the richest owners in the NFL.
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Richest NFL owners
| Rank | Owner | Team | Net worth |
| 1. | Rob Walton & family | Broncos | $119.4 billion |
| 2. | David Tepper | Panthers | $23.7 billion |
| 3. | Stanley Kroenke | Rams | $21.3 billion |
| 4. | Jerry Jones & family | Cowboys | $19.5 billion |
| 4. | Stephen Ross | Dolphins | $17 billion |
| 6. | Shahid Khan | Jaguars | $14.3 billion |
| 7. | Robert Kraft | Patriots | $13.8 billion |
| 8. | Arthur Blank | Falcons | $11.4 billion |
| 9. | Josh Harris | Commanders | $10.9 billion |
| 10. | Jimmy Haslam | Browns | $8.7 billion |
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