The memorabilia collection of longtime Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, who passed away in May 2025, sold for a staggering $93 million and broke 23 world records
12:39 ET, 15 Mar 2026
Former Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay in a golf cart
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Items from former Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay's memorabilia collection went up for auction last week(Image: Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Longtime Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay’s memorabilia collection included iconic pieces of sports and music history.
The robust collection of Irsay, who owned the Colts from 1997 until his death in May 2025, was put up for live online auction between Thursday and Saturday and generated a staggering $93 million in sales. It comes as Donald Trump faces a ban from attending the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles after Joe Biden’s refusal.
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Among the sports pieces up for auction were Secretariat’s 1973 Triple Crown saddle, Wayne Gretzky’s Edmonton Oilers jersey from his NHL record 500th goal, and one of Jackie Robinson’s bats from the 1953 MLB season.
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The music items available, including a black Fender Stratocaster guitar used by Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, were equally, if not more impressive.
The saddle sold for $1.524 million, Gretzky’s jersey for $952.5 thousand, Robinson’s bat for $406.5 thousand, and Gilmour’s guitar, which was used to record several iconic Pink Floyd albums in the 1970s, for an astonishing $14.6 million, the highest price ever paid for a guitar.
In total, the auction, which more than doubled the estimated $40 million, set 23 different world records.
Guitars from Jim Irsay's memoribilia collection lines up on a wall at Christie's in Los Angeles
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Irsay's collection included guitars used by some of the most iconic musicians in history(Image: Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP via Getty Images)
"The Irsay sale did justice to the brilliance of the collector and of the monumental pieces he brought together, iconic objects that tell the story of our culture and our times," Julien Pradels, president of Christie's, the art and luxury auction house who oversaw the sales, said in a statement, perAOL.com.
Per Christie’s, “a portion of the proceeds of these sales will be donated to philanthropic causes supported by Jim Irsay during his lifetime.”
Irsay’s collection is so grand that, prior to going up on auction last week, it had been part of an ongoing traveling exhibit series including appearances at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
It also has its own Wikipedia page, where details of the many music, sports, film, and pop culture items are listed and examined in detail.
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Other items from Irsay’s collection that were auctioned off include a piano owned by the Beatles’ John Lennon (sold for $3.2 million), a blue Fender Mustang guitar belonging to Kurt Cobain (sold for $6.9 million), and a custom-built ‘Tiger’ guitar owned by the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia (sold for $11.6 million).
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Irsay died in his sleep from cardiac arrest complicated by pneumonia while staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel last May. He was 65.
Beyond his remarkable memorabilia collection, the former Colts owner is widely remembered for his generosity and philanthropic work. After his passing, the team announced it would wear commemorative jersey patches throughout the 2025 season in his honor.
Ownership of the franchise passed to Irsay’s three daughters - Carlie, Kalen, and Casey - with Carlie becoming a fan-favorite after frequently being seen on the sideline during games in bold blue outfits and wearing a headset.