• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

New York City women are making up to $30,000 per month by renting out their closets to strangers

2

Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?

3

The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'

1

New York City women are making up to $30,000 per month by renting out their closets to strangers

2

Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?

3

The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
SuccessNFL

The Philadelphia Eagles’ billionaire owner invested $185 million 30 years ago. Now the team is worth 35 times what he paid for it

By
Stuart Dyos
Stuart Dyos
Weekend News Fellow
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Stuart Dyos
Stuart Dyos
Weekend News Fellow
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 8, 2025, 3:00 PM ET
Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie.
Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie.Brooke Sutton—Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.
  • Billionaire Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie once had a stint as an adjunct professor of social policy before shifting his career and ultimately leading the 12th most valuable sports franchise in the world. 

As the Philadelphia Eagles seek to dethrone the back-to-back NFL champion Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday’s Super Bowl, the appearance is a testament to Eagles’ billionaire owner Jeffrey Lurie.

Recommended Video

After a 14-3 regular season, the Eagles are riding a three-game playoff winning streak ahead of their third Super Bowl appearance in the past eight years.

Prior to this recent success, the seed was planted in 1994, when Lurie took control of the team. But before his days at the helm of the Eagles, Lurie was an adjunct assistant professor of social policy at Boston University.

After his stint in academia, Lurie joined his grandfather’s business, movie theater chain General Cinema Corporation, in 1983. In 1985, Lurie started his own TV and film company, Chestnut Hill Productions. While the company won three Academy Award–winning documentaries, Lurie aspired to own an NFL franchise.

The Boston native threw his hat in the ring in 1993 to purchase the New England Patriots. Ultimately, Lurie was outbid by Patriots current owner Robert Kraft after he paid $172 million for the struggling franchise.

In 1994, the Philadelphia Eagles were coming off a .500 season, finishing 8-8, and missing out on the playoffs. The team had a merry-go-round of quarterbacks that year with Bubby Brister, Randall Cunningham, and Ken O’Brien each starting more than four games for the club. 

The Eagles had yet to win a Super Bowl, their stadium was deteriorating, and their practice grounds were in a similar state of dilapidation. Concerns around competency in the front office arose as well, after Hall of Fame defensive lineman Reggie White signed with the Green Bay Packers and rookie first-round draft pick Leonard Renfro flopped.

Billionaire Norman Braman, who was the Eagles owner at the time, was looking for a potential suitor to take the reins of the team after he started dealing with illness.

“I had made up my mind a lot earlier that I was going to exit from ownership of the Eagles,” Braman told Forbes. “I honestly believe stress and pressure have an impact on an individual’s quality of life.”

Using stock, the family trust, and a bank loan, Lurie bought the Eagles for $185 million in 1994. At the time, it was believed to be the most expensive purchase of an established professional sports franchise. 

During the initial years of Lurie’s ownership, he modernized the facilities as he feared the aged stadium and practice field would deter recruitment.

“I was always worried that we were in (Veterans Stadium) and that we wouldn’t be able to attract free agents, maintain top players that we had, and attract top coaching,” Lurie told Forbes.

With the help of $200 million in public funding, the Eagles built a $37 million training facility and a new $512 million venue, Lincoln Financial Field, which they have called home since 2003.

Read more from Fortune

  • This entrepreneurial couple cashed out their 401(k)s and sold a $126 million company—now, they run a U.K. soccer team
  • Trump’s 25% tariffs are backfiring and threatening Gen Z’s trade career aspirations—putting car manufacturing jobs in peril
  • Gen Z women are being sold a risky dream: the realities behind ‘investing’ in designer bags like the Hermès Birkin
  • Like Tim Cook and Gen Z, AEG’s top exec eats the same lunch most days and wears the same outfit
  • Warren Buffett reveals the unique education strategy he took in school—and eventually paid off with a $170 billion fortune
  •  

    Throughout Lurie’s tenure with the Eagles, he’s come under scrutiny from Philly faithful. In 2012, he laid off Andy Reid, the current Kansas City Chiefs head coach and the winningest coach in Eagles history. Additionally, Lurie oversaw failed installations with coaches Chip Kelly and Pat Shurmur. But in 2016, Lurie hired Doug Pederson, who won the team’s first championship in 2018.

    The Philadelphia Eagles did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

    Regardless of Super Bowl LIX’s outcome, Lurie will remain victorious financially: His initial investment has blossomed 35 times over. The Eagles are now worth $6.6 billion, the eighth most valuable NFL franchise and the 12th most valuable team in the world, and he is personally worth $5.3 billion, according to Forbes. 

    That success has led to speculation he might try his hand with another team. On a recent podcast, the Ringer’s Bill Simmons said that Lurie is among the bidders for the NBA’s Boston Celtics. 

    Lurie told reporters this past week that he’s not interested in acquiring another team, but he didn’t completely count it out.

    “I would never say never, but I’m not looking to own another sports franchise,” he said. “The Celtics, again, are exceptional. They’re so well run; they’re so talented.”

    “It’s my childhood team—however, I do not expect that to happen.”

    The Fortune 500 Innovation Forum will convene Fortune 500 executives, U.S. policy officials, top founders, and thought leaders to help define what’s next for the American economy, Nov. 16-17 in Detroit. Apply here.
    About the Author
    By Stuart DyosWeekend News Fellow

    Stuart Dyos is a weekend news fellow at Fortune, covering breaking news.

    See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
    Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

    Latest in Success

    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025

    Most Popular

    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Fortune Secondary Logo
    Rankings
    • 100 Best Companies
    • Fortune 500
    • Global 500
    • Fortune 500 Europe
    • Most Powerful Women
    • World's Most Admired Companies
    • See All Rankings
    • Lists Calendar
    Sections
    • Finance
    • Fortune Crypto
    • Features
    • Leadership
    • Health
    • Commentary
    • Success
    • Retail
    • Mpw
    • Tech
    • Lifestyle
    • CEO Initiative
    • Asia
    • Politics
    • Conferences
    • Europe
    • Newsletters
    • Personal Finance
    • Environment
    • Magazine
    • Education
    Customer Support
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Customer Service Portal
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms Of Use
    • Single Issues For Purchase
    • International Print
    Commercial Services
    • Advertising
    • Fortune Brand Studio
    • Fortune Analytics
    • Fortune Conferences
    • Business Development
    • Group Subscriptions
    About Us
    • About Us
    • Press Center
    • Work At Fortune
    • Terms And Conditions
    • Site Map
    • About Us
    • Press Center
    • Work At Fortune
    • Terms And Conditions
    • Site Map
    • Facebook icon
    • Twitter icon
    • LinkedIn icon
    • Instagram icon
    • TikTok icon
    • YouTube icon

    Latest in Success

    jiro
    CommentaryLeadership
    You don’t need to be an expert to hire one. You need a tunaman
    By Vitaliy KatsenelsonJuly 28, 2026
    1 hour ago
    Gen Z say selling their secondhand stuff online is teaching them more about business than college—and 85% of hiring managers agree
    SuccessCareers
    Gen Z say selling their secondhand stuff online is teaching them more about business than college—and 85% of hiring managers agree
    By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 28, 2026
    5 hours ago
    This CEO was bedridden 16 hours a day. She turned her own misdiagnosis into a self-funded, multimillion-dollar thyroid clinic
    SuccessMost Powerful Women
    This CEO was bedridden 16 hours a day. She turned her own misdiagnosis into a self-funded, multimillion-dollar thyroid clinic
    By Sydney LakeJuly 28, 2026
    5 hours ago
    Photo of Elon Musk
    SuccessElon Musk
    A Nobel economist challenged Elon Musk to donate his entire $1T fortune by 2036. Musk’s reply: ‘I am actually going to do something along these lines’
    By Sydney LakeJuly 27, 2026
    15 hours ago
    l
    Arts & EntertainmentWealth
    LeBron James joins California’s billionaire exodus, but he may not escape the wealth tax
    By Nick LichtenbergJuly 27, 2026
    16 hours ago
    People at dinner table paying the bill
    Personal FinanceVisa
    About half of Gen Z owe their friends more than $1,000, while nearly another half goes into debt to cover group expenses they expect to be repaid
    By Catherina GioinoJuly 27, 2026
    16 hours ago

    Most Popular

    New York City women are making up to $30,000 per month by renting out their closets to strangers
    Retail
    New York City women are making up to $30,000 per month by renting out their closets to strangers
    By Sarah GlodekJuly 27, 2026
    1 day ago
    Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?
    C-Suite
    Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?
    By Nick LichtenbergJuly 27, 2026
    20 hours ago
    The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
    Real Estate
    The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
    By Nick LichtenbergJuly 25, 2026
    3 days ago
    I've been teaching college students for decades. Most of them can no longer finish a book
    Commentary
    I've been teaching college students for decades. Most of them can no longer finish a book
    By Austin SaratJuly 26, 2026
    2 days ago
    One-third of Seattle's downtown is empty: Here's how America's boomtown turned into one of the toughest places to find a job
    Real Estate
    One-third of Seattle's downtown is empty: Here's how America's boomtown turned into one of the toughest places to find a job
    By Nick LichtenbergJuly 27, 2026
    1 day ago
    Current price of silver as of Monday, July 27, 2026
    Personal Finance
    Current price of silver as of Monday, July 27, 2026
    By Joseph HostetlerJuly 27, 2026
    1 day ago

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.