Jess Jackson, a self-made billionaire who built his fortune promoting California chardonnays from his Kendall-Jackson winery, died April 21 at his home in Geyserville, Calif. He was 81 and had complications from cancer.
Jackson transformed what began in 1974 as an 80-acre pear and walnut farm in Lake County, Calif., into a vine-covered empire with properties in Chile, Australia, Italy and France.
In California alone, he owned 14,000 grape-growing acres, including vineyards in Napa, Mendocino and Sonoma counties. His company produces more than 5 million cases of wine a year.
For Jackson, who spent 35 years as a real estate lawyer in San Francisco, grapes served as the bedrock of his success.
According to Forbes magazine, Jackson’s wine business made him one of the 400 richest Americans, with a net worth exceeding $1.8 billion last year.
Armed with his fortune, Jackson became a prominent thoroughbred owner and breeder. He was the majority owner of Horse of the Year winners Curlin and Rachel Alexandra, both of which won the Triple Crown series Preakness Stakes.
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