The legendary Jim Irsay Collection is set to go under the hammer next year, starting with the sale of Kurt Cobain's Fender Mustang in March 2026.
Jim Irsay - the billionaire owner and CEO of the Indianapolis Colts - was the proud owner of an extensive collection of memorabilia, spanning music, history and pop culture, until he passed away in May 2025.
Items amongst the collection include Muhammad Ali's "Rumble in the Jungle" championship belt, Hunter S Thompson's Chevrolet, documents handwritten by George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson, and the original manuscript of the Alcoholics Anonymous 'Big Book'.
The dizzying array of historic items also includes what is often dubbed "The Greatest Guitar Collection on Earth” , which is estimated to be worth over $1 billion and includes instruments previously owned by Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix and David Gilmour.
Christie’s, the New York-based art house, will begin auctioning off the collection next year, starting with the Fender Mustang that Kurt Cobain wielded for the Smells Like Teen Spirit music video, which will go to auction in March.
Julien Pradels, president of the art house's American division, said "Christie’s is honoured to offer this magnificent collection, so lovingly compiled, maintained, and shared by legendary collector Jim Irsay over decades".
“These extraordinary objects will be made available to passionate collectors around the globe, who have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a piece of history, and provide this exquisite collection its next chapter.”
A portion of the proceeds of each sale are set to be donated to charities Irsay patronised during his life, such as his own mental health charity, Kicking The Stigma. The art house will also be hosting exhibitions alongside each auction, giving the public a chance to look at these pieces of history before they go on sale.
Unlike some other collectors, Irsay wasn't keen to keep his treasures locked away in a vault, and started taking around 100 items on the road as part of a touring exhibition back in 2021.
"It's been a way to be of service and give back to the arts, to the public in general and the way I feel is, we don't want your money. Save your money. We want to give this to you."
As well as a chance to see some of the mainstays of his collection, the exhibit also offered guests live performances from Irsay's band, where he would take to the stage alongside the likes of REM's Mike Mills and blues rocker Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
For Irsay, historical significance was a major motivator behind his impressive collection: "History is so important. So much of what we’re about as a world, as humanity, is tied to music. It’s been that way ever since the cavemen were around the fire."
"I've pondered questions such as what real currency does a memory have? How did the memory serve us? Did it help form who you are? There are historic moments that shifted the whole world. History is just an incredible teacher for us."
Sadly, the billionaire's passing doesn't just mean the end of his concerts - he had also been planning to set up a permanent home for his collection, but the plans didn't come to fruition before he died. As per his wishes, everything was left to his grandchildren, who've opted to auction off items whilst they focus their efforts on the NFL.
It's sad to think of what could have been, given Irsay's wish for the museum to retain the touring exhibit's lively spirit. "To me, it’s really important that the museum is alive. How you experience it when you walk in? I want it to be interactive.”
If you're worried new owners might mean these items spend more time locked away than seeing the light of day, there's solace to be found in Irsay's own musings over what would happen in the wake of his passing.
"Look, [it's] not mine. I always say, you never see a hearse pulling a U-Haul. I don't own anything. It was there before I came, and it will be there when I leave.
"These things will come alive some day. You and I won't be here, but 400 years from now, they'll be able to have a hologram connected to this, and it will tell all the stories of the places [it] was."
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