Net Worth Ranker
What Is Jim Crane’s Net Worth?
As of 2025, Jim Crane, an American businessman and owner of the Houston Astros, has an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion. His wealth primarily comes from his success in the logistics industry and his ownership of the Houston Astros baseball team.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
James Robert “Jim” Crane was born on January 17, 1954, in Dellwood, Missouri. He graduated from Lutheran High School North in 1972. He then attended Central Missouri State University (now the University of Central Missouri), where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Safety in 1976. During his time at Central Missouri State University, Crane was a standout pitcher for the Mules baseball team, holding pitching records. In the summer of 1974, during his college years, he took a union job at a dry goods company to support his family after his father passed away. His baseball coach, Robert N. Tompkins, convinced him to return to school. Crane has since made donations to both Lutheran High School North and Central Missouri State University, including a $1 million donation to improve the athletic facilities at Lutheran High School North.
Logistics Empire
After college, Jim Crane started his career in the insurance business. In 1980, he moved to Houston, Texas. In March 1984, he borrowed $10,000 from his sister to found Eagle USA Airfreight, an air-freight logistics business. The company was later renamed Eagle Global Logistics (EGL). By 2007, EGL had grown into a global logistics powerhouse with over 10,000 employees and $4 billion in annual revenue. In August 2007, EGL merged with CEVA Logistics, a UK-based company owned by Apollo Management L.P. At the time of the merger, Crane owned 17.6% of EGL’s stock, netting him over $300 million. In 2008, Crane founded Crane Worldwide Logistics (CWW), which achieved $1 billion in sales within ten years. Crane Capital Group has invested in transportation, power distribution, real estate and asset management. Its holdings include Crane Worldwide Logistics, a premier global provider of customized transportation and logistics services with 105 offices in 30 countries, and Crane Freight & Cartage.
Houston Astros Ownership
Jim Crane’s interest in baseball ownership began in 2008 when he made an offer to buy the Houston Astros but backed out before finalizing the deal. He also made unsuccessful bids to buy the Chicago Cubs in 2009 and the Texas Rangers in 2010. Finally, in May 2011, Crane reached an agreement to purchase the Houston Astros for $680 million from Drayton McLane. The purchase was approved by Major League Baseball on November 17, 2011. As part of the deal, Crane agreed to move the Astros from the National League Central to the American League West, receiving a $35 million compensation for this move. Since Crane’s acquisition, the Astros’ value has significantly increased. In 2020, the team’s value had nearly quadrupled to $1.8 billion. In 2022, Forbes estimated the team’s value at $1.98 billion, making it the 15th-most-valuable club in MLB. Crane’s estimated 40% stake in the Astros contributes significantly to his net worth.
Real Estate and Other Ventures
In addition to his logistics and sports ventures, Jim Crane has investments in real estate, golf, restaurants, and wineries. In 2010, Crane purchased The Floridian National Golf Club and invested in its reconstruction, transforming it into one of the nation’s premier golf clubs. In 2017, he opened two restaurants in Houston, Osso & Kristalla and Potente, named after his children. He also started Crane Safety, a commercial safety supply and training company, and acquired Davaco, a company that manages high-volume remodels and technology deployments. Furthermore, in 2019, Crane became a partial owner of Aperture Cellars, a winery in Sonoma County. In 2017, Jim Crane listed his Pebble Beach mansion for sale for $37.9 million. He eventually sold the home in August 2020 for $21 million, a significant discount from its original listing price. In November 2019, Crane purchased another Pebble Beach mansion for $21 million, with $18 million from the sale going to charity.
Philanthropy and Community Involvement
Jim Crane is actively involved in philanthropy and community initiatives. After buying the Astros in 2011, Crane expanded the Astros Foundation, increasing its contributions from $50,000 to $12 million by 2017. The foundation’s Community Leaders Program won MLB’s Allan H. Selig Award for Philanthropic Excellence in 2017. In 2017, Crane, the Astros ownership group, and the Astros Foundation committed $4 million to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. In 2018, he took ownership of the Houston Open to ensure its continuation in Houston, operating it under the Astros Golf Foundation. In 2020, Crane donated $400,000 and provided COVID-19 test swabs and personal protective equipment to support local hospitals. The Astros Foundation donated $6 million to various Houston non-profits in 2024.
