Jerry Jones Net Worth: How The Dallas Cowboys Owner Built His $23.5 Billion Empire

Jerry Jones is the owner, president, and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys, the NFL's most valuable and visible franchise. Born in 1942, the former co-captain at the University of Arkansas first made his name as an oil wildcatter, founding Jones Oil and Land Lease in the early 1970s. He purchased the struggling Cowboys in 1989 for $140 million from H.R. Bright, when the team was losing money every month. Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys in 1989, turning them into a dynasty in the 1990s and a global brand, winning three Super Bowls in the process. Jones is one of the league's most powerful and polarizing figures.

Jerry Jones made a lot of money in his successful career

As of 2026, Jerry Jones has an estimated net worth of $23.5 billion, according to Forbes, which ranks him among the top 50 richest Americans and top 10 richest sports owners in the US.

The Dallas Cowboys are the engine of his wealth. The franchise is currently valued at around $17 billion, making it the most valuable sports team in the world. Jones bought it in 1989 for $140 to $150 million from H.R. Bright when the team was losing money every month. That single investment has grown nearly ninety times.

Football is not his only play. Jones built his original fortune as a wildcatter in the 1970s after founding Jones Oil and Land Lease. He remains a major force in energy as the controlling shareholder of Comstock Resources, one of the largest natural gas producers in Texas and Louisiana, a stake that in some years is worth as much as the Cowboys themselves.

His portfolio also includes Legends hospitality, real estate developments around The Star in Frisco, and other commercial holdings, but the Cowboys plus oil and gas make up the bulk of his fortune.

Jerry Jones' Team Won Super Bowl Thrice During The ‘90s

Jerry Jones started as an offensive lineman and co-captain of Arkansas' 1964 national championship team. After graduating, he went into business, founding Jones Oil and Land Lease in 1970.

A successful wildcatter, he made his first millions in oil and gas exploration and later became controlling shareholder of Comstock Resources. In February 1989, he bought the Dallas Cowboys for $140 million. He immediately fired Tom Landry and hired Jimmy Johnson, his former Arkansas teammate. The move led to three Super Bowl wins in 1993, 1994, and 1996.

Jones also changed NFL business by signing his own sponsorship deals with Nike and Pepsi, and he built AT&T Stadium in 2009 and The Star complex in Frisco. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

Jerry married Eugenia “Gene” Jones in 1963 after they met at Arkansas. They have three children who all work for the Cowboys and are co-owners. Stephen Jones, born in 1964, is COO, executive vice president, and director of player personnel. Charlotte Jones Anderson, born in 1966, is a chief brand officer. Jerry Jones Jr., born in 1969, is chief sales and marketing officer.