Billionaire Killed In Crash On Colorado Race Track

Photo: Andy Kropa (AP)

James Crown, an American billionaire businessman, was killed in a racing accident on Sunday in Colorado. According to CNN, Crown, who also had his 70th birthday on Sunday, died in a single-vehicle crash after hitting an impact barrier at Aspen Motorsports Park in Woody Creek, Colorado.

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Not too much is known about the crash right now, but local officials are reportedly investigating. According to The Colorado Sun, a spokesperson for the Colorado State Patrol said the agency was called to the scene around 2:45 p.m. on Sunday.

“The official cause of death is pending autopsy although multiple blunt force trauma is evident,” The Pitkin County Coroner’s Office said in a statement reported by CNN. “The manner is accident.”

Crown was reportedly chairman and CEO of his family business, Henry Crown and Company, an investment firm. He also served on the JPMorgan Chase board since the early 1990s, and he was a board director at General Dynamics.

CNN reports that while Crown lived in Chicago, he would frequently travel to Colorado. He also held additional positions at organizations in both states. He was a managing partner of Aspen Skiing Co, chair emeritus of the Aspen Institute, and a trustee at three institutions: the Museum of Science and Industry, the Civic Committee and the University of Chicago. In 2014, President Barack Obama appointed Crown to the President’s Intelligence Advisory board. He was even at one point considered part of Obama’s “inner circle.”

“The Crown family is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Jim Crown in an accident earlier today. The family requests that their privacy be respected at this difficult time.” Aspen Skiing Co. said in a written statement, reported by The Sun. “Further details regarding plans for a memorial to remember Jim’s remarkable life will be released at a later date.”

Crown is reportedly survived by his wife, four children, and his parents.