how much did jerry jones pay for the cowboys

February 24, 2026 • 1 min read

Jerry Jones paid about $140 million to buy the Dallas Cowboys in 1989.

Quick Scoop

Purchase year: 1989.

Reported price: Approximately $140 million for the team (and related assets) from then‑owner H.R. “Bum” Bright.

Context: At the time, it was a record price for an NFL franchise and was considered a big gamble because the Cowboys had just gone 3–13 and were losing money.

Today: That “gamble” is widely viewed as one of the most profitable team purchases in sports history, with the franchise now valued in the multiple billions of dollars.

In simple terms: Jerry Jones turned a roughly $140M bet on a struggling team into a multi‑billion‑dollar NFL empire.

TL;DR: Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys for about $140 million in 1989, a record‑setting fee then and a legendary bargain in hindsight.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.

Agni Garbha

Written by Agni Garbha

"A book is a gift you can open again and again." — This philosophy guides my writing and exploration of ideas.