Reading rank 238
King of the Cowboys: The Life and Times of Jerry Jones
, subject: Jerry Jones / Dallas Cowboys, 1995
Dent’s Jerry Jones biography follows deals made with unusual self-belief, and the consequences of wanting to remain in control.
71
Coverage Score
4
Scored evidence
About the book
Published in 1995, the biography follows Jones’s rise in business and his takeover of the Cowboys, including changes in the team’s management under his ownership.
Why read it
Best if you want a sports-business biography about concentrated risk, self-belief and the expectations behind difficult partnerships.
Key themes
- Understand the risk behind the result
- Be clear about who controls the partnership
Evidence and original sources
Sources: official Founders episodes — #379, #382
This record is supported by 5 public evidence rows linked to original Founders episodes.
- Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys) — From Dent’s account of Jones’s ventures and Cowboys purchase, David draws a theme of unusually high risk tolerance and self-belief, including taking the deal after many prospective buyers had refused it.
- Who Is Michael Ovitz?: The Rise and Fall (and Rise) of the Most Powerful Man in Hollywood — David explicitly returns to his Jerry Jones episode while discussing Michael Ovitz, using Jones’s relationships with Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer to illustrate conflicts over sharing control.