Jesse Itzler (born August 22, 1968) is an American entrepreneur, author, and rapper.[3] He is the co-founder of Marquis Jet, one of the largest private jet card companies in the world, a partner in Zico Coconut Water, the founder of The 100 Mile Group and one of the owners of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks.[4][5]
Jesse Itzler | |
|---|---|
 Itzler in 2018 | |
| Born | August 22, 1968 |
| Citizenship | American |
| Alma mater | American University (BA) [1][2] |
| Occupation(s) | Founder of The 100 Mile Group, entrepreneur, author, rapper, singer, songwriter |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
Early life and education
Jesse Itzler was born on August 22, 1968, to a Jewish family[6] and raised in Roslyn, New York,[7] on Long Island, the son of Daniel Itzler, an inventor, and Elese Itzler,[8] the president of the Roslyn Board of Education. He was the youngest of three or four children, depending on the source.[9][10] Three generations of his father's family were raised in Brooklyn.[11]
Itzler earned his bachelor's degree in 1990 from American University. He later obtained a degree in justice, law, and society.[1][2]
Career
Music career
After graduating from college, Itzler signed with Delicious Vinyl records as a songwriter/artist. He released his debut album Thirty Footer in Your Face using the pseudonym Jesse Jaymes in 1991. He co-wrote songs for various artists including Tone Lōc.[3] His first released single, "College Girls (Are Easy)", while not ranking on the Billboard Hot 100 chart did become a club anthem. This was followed by his second single "Shake It Like A White Girl", which did reach 74 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1991[12] and was featured in the soundtrack of the 2004 movie White Chicks.[13] In 1992, Itzler wrote and sang the New York Knicks theme song "Go NY Go"[14] as well as original songs for more than 50 other professional teams. Itzler wrote and sang the Emmy Award-winning song "I Love This Game" and also produced the theme song for Inside the NBA. Itzler is credited with campaigns for Foot Locker and Coca-Cola.[15]
Itzler's music partner was Dana Mozie, whom he met in 1987, a man described as being from a "strikingly different background... raised in the southeast section of Washington... as streetwise as Itzler was suburban," with whom he collaborated on several musical projects in his period as Jesse Jaymes.[2]
Entrepreneurship
In 1996, Itzler co-founded Alphabet City Sports Records with his friend Kenny Dichter.[16] The record company is known for mixing classic arena songs with highlights of historical play-by-play calls for professional sports teams including the Wizards, the Mavericks, and the Lakers. In 1998, the company was sold to SFX.[17]
In 2001, Itzler co-founded Marquis Jet, one of the largest private jet card companies in the world.[18] Itzler served as the company's Vice Chairman until the company was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway, parent company of NetJets, in 2009.[4][19]
In 2009, Itzler created the 100 Mile Group, a brand incubator and accelerator.[20][21] The company announced a partnership with ZICO Coconut Water and the Coca-Cola company in 2009.[22] In 2012, ZICO was acquired by Coca-Cola for an undisclosed sum.[18]
In November 2015, Itzler released his book Living With a SEAL: 31 Days Training With the Toughest Man on the Planet.[23] The book was a New York Times Best Seller and ranked first on the LA Times book list.[24][25] He released Living With the Monks: What Turning Off My Phone Taught Me about Happiness, Gratitude, and Focus in 2018.[26] Itzler is represented by literary agent Lisa Leshne of The Leshne Agency.[27]
Recently, he has begun to pursue keynote speaking.[28]
Atlanta Hawks
In 2015, Itzler and his wife, Sara Blakely were part of a group led by Tony Ressler along with Grant Hill, Steven Price, and Rick Schnall, that purchased the Atlanta Hawks for $850 million[29][30][31] from Bruce Levenson.[32][33][34]
Personal life
In 2006, Itzler competed in the USA National Ultra Marathon Championship in Grapevine, Texas, successfully completing a 100-mile run in under 24 hours.[35] Itzler finished 49th out of 80 in the SEA Paddle NYC 25 mile stand up paddle race around Manhattan in 2012.[36]
In 2008, Itzler married Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx, at the Gasparilla Inn and Club in Boca Grande, Florida.[18][37] The couple have four children and reside in Georgia.[38][39]
References
External links
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