It was a night of breaking world records, 23 to be precise, but none of them happened on the field. The late former Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay was known for his collection of prized items, and they were recently put up for auction, which ended up hitting an eight-figure milestone.

“Late Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay’s memorabilia collection brought in $93,656,609 during live auctions from Thursday to Saturday with Christie’s, with online auctions ongoing,” noted ESPN’s Dan Hajducky recently.

The billionaire’s treasured historical artifacts and the musical instruments, collected over the past decades from several renowned artists, dominated the bidding war, exceeding the pre-sale expectations. It also included numerous sports collections.

The auction showcased Irsay’s eclectic tastes, with items ranging from sports history to rock and roll lore. A 1953 Jackie Robinson bat, a symbol of breaking barriers, sold for $406,400, while Muhammad Ali’s robe fetched $444,500, and NHL icon Wayne Gretzky’s jersey from his 500th career game touched almost a million ($952,500). It underscored Irsay’s appreciation for transcendent figures in sports.

While his sports items earned decent money, his extensive guitar collection helped to shatter the auction records. Pink Floyd alumnus David Gilmour’s Black Strat guitar became the most expensive guitar in the world after being sold for a staggering $14.5 million.

Jerry Garcia’s beloved guitar, Tiger, was among Jim’s most precious collections, which was estimated to be between $1 to $2 million. However, its auction price shot up over ten times and was sold for $11.56 million. On the other hand, John Lennon’s Sgt. Pepper Piano racked up a price of $3.2 million, while Kurt Cobain’s iconic Fender Mustang guitar from 1969, which featured in his hit song, fetched $6.9 million in the auction.

The Hall of Famer auction, which took place on the opening day, brought in over $84 million alone. Meanwhile, the auction took place less than a year after the sudden demise of Jim.

Jim Irsay became the full owner of the Indianapolis Colts in 1997

The former Indianapolis owner died in his sleep on May 21, 2025, at the age of 65. He became associated with the team in his 20s and became the sole owner of the franchise in the 1990s.

Jim’s father, Robert Irsay, first bought the team, which was known as the Baltimore Colts, in 1972. Once they moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis, he was made vice president and general manager in 1984 when he was only 24.

Following his father’s demise, he became the sole owner of the Blue and White after transferring the legal ownership from his stepmother. With Irsay as the owner, the organization became a Super Bowl champion in 2007. In his absence, the Colts are currently co-owned by his three daughters, Kalen Jackson, Casey Foyt, and Carlie Irsay-Gordon.