Jesse Itzler

Jesse Eric Itzler (born August 22, 1968) is an entrepreneur, author, endurance athlete and former rapper. He is the co-founder of Marquis Jet, one of the largest private jet card companies in the world, the founder of The 100 Mile Group and an owner of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks.

He was born in Roslyn, New York in August 22, 1968. He is the son of Jewish-descent Daniel Itzler, an inventor, and Elese Itzler, the president of the Roslyn Board of Education. Itzler earned his bachelor's degree in 1990 from American University. He later obtained a degree in justice, law, and society.

Music career

After graduating 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. His first single "Shake It Like A White Girl" reached 74 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1991 and was featured in the soundtrack of the 2004 movie White Chicks. In 1992, Itzler wrote and sang the New York Knicks theme song "Go NY Go" as well as original songs for more than 50 other professional teams. Additionally, 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.

Entrepreneurship

In 1996, Itzler co-founded Alphabet City Sports Records with his friend Kenny Dichter. 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.

In 2001, Itzler co-founded Marquis Jet, one of the largest private jet card companies in the world. Itzler served as the company’s Vice Chairman until the company was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway, parent company of NetJets, in 2009.

In 2009, Itzler created the 100 Mile Group, a brand incubator and accelerator. The company announced a partnership with ZICO Coconut Water and the Coca Cola company in 2009. In 2012, ZICO was acquired by Coca Cola for an undisclosed sum.

In 2015, Itzler and his wife Sara Blakely, joined Tony Ressler and Grant Hill to create an ownership group for the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. The group purchased the team from Bruce Levenson for estimated $730 million - $850 million.

In November 2015, Itzler released his book Living With a Seal: 31 Days Training With the Toughest Man on the Planet.

In 2006, Itzler competed in the USA National Ultra Marathon Championship in Grapevine, Texas, successfully completing a 100 mile run in under 24 hours. In 2008, Itzler married Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx. The couple has four children. Itzler was a top 50 finisher in the SEA Paddle NYC 25 mile stand up paddle race around Manhattan in 2012.