logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2025
59m 45s

#379 Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys)

David Senra
About this episode

Jerry Jones rolled the dice until his knuckles bled. He started working at 7 years old. Jerry could sell, sell, sell. He sold fruit at his father’s grocery store in grade school and sold shoes out of the trunk of his car in college. After failing to sell pizza franchises he tried real estate and insurance. He never met a high risk deal he didn’t like. Jerry got pitched a deal to drill for oil that everyone else had already said no to. Jerry said yes. That well made $4 million. He hit again on the next 14 wells. Jerry decided to drill for natural gas next. He drills 200 wells. He hit on 199 of them. He sells that company for $175 million. He has $90 million in the bank. He buys the Dallas Cowboys for $140 million. 75 other people had the opportunity to buy the team and said no. He empties his bank account and borrows $50 million at steep interest rates. The year before Jerry bought the team the Cowboys lost $9 million. Financial advisors told Jerry that the Cowboys were ridiculously overpriced and that he was committing financial suicide. Within a few years the team is printing $30 million a year in profit. The Dallas Cowboys are worth $10 billion today. 

This episode is what I leaned from reading King of the Cowboys: The Life and Times of Jerry Jones by Jim Dent. 

----

Ramp gives you everything you need to control spend, watch your costs, and optimize your financial operations —all on a single platform. Make history's greatest entrepreneurs proud by going to Ramp and learning how they can help your business control your costs and save more

----

Vesto: All of your company's financial accounts in one view. Connect and control all of your business bank accounts from one dashboard. Go to Vesto and schedule a demo with the founder Ben. Tell him David sent you. 

----

Founders Notes gives you the ability to tap into the collective knowledge of history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. Use it to supplement the decisions you make in your work.  Get access to Founders Notes here

----

Join my free email newsletter to get my top 10 highlights from every book

----

----

Founders Notes gives you the ability to tap into the collective knowledge of history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. Use it to supplement the decisions you make in your work.  Get access to Founders Notes here

----

I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — Gareth

Be like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast

Up next
Today
My Conversation with Michael Dell
I’ve started a new show where I have conversations with the greatest living Founders. The show is called David Senra. It will be on a separate podcast feed from Founders. So it is very important that you follow David Senra on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you're l ... Show More
1h 31m
Oct 5
#402 Thomas Peterffy: The $80 Billion Founder Who Automates Everything
I didn’t know who Thomas Peterffy was. I was shocked to learn that he is 81 years old, worth $80 billion dollars, and has built his $120 billion company, Interactive Brokers, into one of the most efficient companies in the world. I discovered Peterffy by reading this incredible p ... Show More
31m 57s
Sep 28
My conversation with Daniel Ek: Founder of Spotify
I started a new show so I can have long-form conversations with the greatest living founders. You can watch on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, X, or the web. The new show is on a separate feed so don't forget to follow David Senra so you don't miss future episodes. Nothing is c ... Show More
2h 9m
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2024
$7 Million at 18 to $112 Million in Assets: How Jacob Turner Built a Business After the MLB
What would you do if you became a millionaire at 18? For MLB pitcher Jacob Turner, the real question was: how do I make sure I don't lose it all?Jacob signed a $7 million contract with the Detroit Tigers as a teenager, and suddenly, his life changed overnight. While most of us ca ... Show More
41m 9s
Mar 2025
How Tommy Mello Became a Billionaire Painting Garage Doors (And How He Shares the Wealth)
What does it take to turn a blue-collar business into a billion-dollar empire?For Tommy Mello, the answer is simple: relentless competition, strategic investing, and an unwavering commitment to winning. From painting garage doors to building A1 Garage Doors into a massive industr ... Show More
30m 47s
Feb 2025
How Comic Books Are Making Me Richer with Rob Walling
Would you put millions into comic books? It sounds crazy, but for Rob Walling, it’s part passion, part strategy.He’s met people at the airport just to pick up a single book. But this isn’t just nostalgia—it's an investment play.Rob Walling is a serial entrepreneur who sold his Sa ... Show More
43m 46s
Sep 12
The man who made a billion off blueberries
Want to start your own million dollar business with less than $1k? Get the guide: https://clickhubspot.com/ejn Episode 744: Sam Parr ( https://x.com/theSamParr ) and Shaan Puri ( https://x.com/ShaanVP ) talk about the insane economics of Broadway shows, the blueberry billionaire ... Show More
1h 18m
Feb 2025
Can Anyone Become a World-Class Salesperson? Jeremy Miner Reveals How 💵 EP108
Jeremy Miner dives deep into the qualities that make a world-class salesperson. Whether you're new to sales or looking to refine your skills, this episode is packed with valuable advice to help you become a top performer. ---Jeremy Miner is the founder and CEO of 7th Level, a glo ... Show More
30m 48s
Mar 2024
'The $150,000 Coach' Shannon Graham & Four Loko Founder, Chris Hunter 💸 E61
Shannon Graham, founder of Astranaut, has dedicated himself to empowering individuals to lead fulfilling lives for over 20 years. He has started projects to help with video game addiction and to empower Hispanic immigrants financially. Shannon's teamed up with leaders all over th ... Show More
1h 10m
Feb 2025
"I Fast-Forwarded My Life 10 Years”: How Geo-Arbitrage 3X’d My Wealth and Changed My Life
What if you could fast-forward your financial goals by ten years just by moving abroad? That’s exactly what entrepreneur Rob Hoffman did when he relocated to Colombia, where his $3M net worth stretches as if it’s $9M. Rob, a member of the Hampton community, shares how he built a ... Show More
32m 6s
Aug 13
From $4/Hour to $4 Billion Net Worth
Want to build your own million dollar side hustle? Get 700+ prompts here: https://clickhubspot.com/cdw Episode 734: Shaan Puri ( https://x.com/ShaanVP ) sits down with billionaire Hayes Barnard for a rare interview. TeamWater is now live! $1 = 1 year of clean water for someone in ... Show More
1h 39m
Jul 9
#80 The Biggest Bets I Made — And How They Paid Off: Gary Vee
In a world drowning in noise, the ability to capture and monetize attention isn't just a skill—it's the entire damn game. That’s why today, we’ve got Gary Vaynerchuk… the man who doesn’t just predict digital trends, he makes them. For over two decades, from transforming a local l ... Show More
1h 20m
Jan 2024
BREAKING NEWS: Dave Portnoy Now Part Owner of Rumble w/ CEO Chris Pavlovski | PBD Podcast | Ep. 354
Patrick Bet-David, Adam Sosnick, Tom Ellsworth, and Vincent Oshana are joined by Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski. Chris Pavlovski is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Rumble. As a three-time successful entrepreneur, Mr. Pavlovski has over 20 years’ experience in the online ma ... Show More
2 h