Jesse Itzler

Jesse Itzler (born August 22, 1968) is an American entrepreneur, author , former rapper , and sports team co-owner, best known for co-founding the private jet company Marquis Jet and the beverage brand Zico Coconut Water, as well as authoring New York Times bestselling books on personal challenges and growth.

Born in Roslyn, New York , Itzler graduated from Roslyn High School in 1986 and earned a bachelor's degree in justice , law , and society from American University's School of Public Affairs in 1990. Early in his career, he pursued music, signing a record deal with Delicious Vinyl in 1991 and writing and performing the NBA's Emmy Award-winning campaign song "I Love This Game" in 1993, while also managing the hip-hop group Run-DMC .

Transitioning to business, Itzler co-founded Marquis Jet in 2001, pioneering the prepaid private jet card model, which was sold to NetJets in 2010 in a deal valued at over $5 billion in sales. In 2009, he co-founded Zico Coconut Water, helping to popularize the drink in the U.S. before its acquisition by The Coca-Cola Company in 2012. He later became a part-owner of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks in 2015 and co-founded the endurance challenge organization 29029 Everesting in 2017, which was acquired by iFit in 2021 and later repurchased; in 2021, he also launched All Day Running Co.

Itzler's writing career includes the 2015 New York Times bestseller Living with a SEAL: 31 Days Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet , recounting his month-long training with Navy SEAL David Goggins, and Living with the Monks: What Turning Off My Phone Taught Me about Life in 2019. An avid endurance athlete, he has completed multiple 100-mile ultramarathons and the height of Mount Everest multiple times via the Everesting format. In his personal life, Itzler married Spanx founder Sara Blakely in 2008; they have four children and reside in Atlanta, Georgia. He is also a sought-after speaker on topics like mindset, business, and wellness.

Jesse Itzler was born on August 22, 1968, in Roslyn, New York , to a Jewish family . His parents were Daniel Itzler, an inventor who owned a plumbing supply business, and Elese Itzler, who served as president of the Roslyn Board of Education .

Itzler was raised in a middle-class Jewish household on Long Island , where family life revolved around his father's entrepreneurial ventures. This environment instilled a foundational appreciation for innovation and problem-solving, shaping his later entrepreneurial pursuits through hands-on observations of his father's inventive work.

During his formative years in the early 1980s, Itzler developed a strong interest in hip-hop music, influenced by the genre's explosion in New York; he attended breakdance battles in Queens during high school and began writing rhymes instead of pursuing typical social activities. He also showed an early passion for sports, which he later integrated with his musical talents in creating team anthems. These interests, nurtured in the dynamic suburban setting of Long Island , laid the groundwork for his diverse career paths in entertainment and athletics.

Jesse Itzler attended Roslyn High School , graduating in 1986. He then attended American University in Washington, D.C. , enrolling around 1986 and graduating in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the School of Public Affairs. His major was in Justice, Law, and Society, a program that emphasized interdisciplinary studies in legal systems, ethics, and societal impacts.

During his undergraduate years, Itzler showed early signs of his interest in music through extracurricular involvement. He convinced a professor to excuse him from classes to record a demo tape in Queens , New York, an experience that directly contributed to securing a recording contract just two months after graduation .

Itzler's education provided foundational skills that supported his later pursuits in music and business .