The Power-Up is the best way stay up to date on the gaming industry news. Click here to find out why!

Books Recommended by Jesse Itzler

Jesse Itzler is an author, entrepreneur, endurance runner, co-owner of Atlanta Hawks, and former musician. He went from being an MTV rapper to starting Marquis Jet, the world’s largest prepaid jet card company (and selling it to Warren Buffett).

Back in the 90’s, Jesse was focused on his music career, and known as rapper Jesse Jaymes. He wrote songs like “Shake It (Like a White Girl)”, that entered the Billboard Top 100 chart. He co-founded a music licensing and marketing firm, Alphabet City, that produced anthems for sports related campaigns and teams (he produced NBA’s Emmy award-winning “I Love This Game” music campaign and the anthem for New York Knicks “Go NY Go”. He sold the company two years later, to entertainment giant SFX.

Jesse later founded Marquis Jet, the world’s largest prepaid jet card company, and served as the company’s Vice Chairman. It was later acquired by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway.

After the exit, Jesse started The 100 Mile Group, a brand incubator and creative design agency. He also helped pioneer the coconut water craze, by partnering with ZICO Coconut Water (he and his partner later sold it to Coca-Cola).

Jesse’s also a runner and has been running daily since 1992. In 2005, after running a few marathons, Jesse signed up for the San Diego ultramarathon – a race where you had to run at least 100 miles in 24 hours, and he was doing it as a relay. It was then that he noticed Navy SEAL David Goggins, who was running the complete race and it was his first ultra-marathon.

By the the 70-mile mark, David’s kidneys were failing, he had broken several small bones in his feet, had shin splints so bad that he wrapped his feet in compression tape, but he managed to finish the race. Jesse was so impressed that he found out David Goggins’ phone number, cold called him, and asked to come live with him and his wife in his house in New York, and train him for a month – physically and mentally. Goggins accepted, with the only condition that Jesse does everything that he says.

In November 2015, Itzler published his first book called “Living with a SEAL”, a recollection of that experience with David Goggins that changed him forever. The book went to become a New York Times bestseller and ranked first on the LA Times book list.

In 2018, Jesse released “Living with Monks”, an enlightening sequel to his first book. Itzler spent 15 days living in a monastery and kept a journal during that time.

Jesse also designed a course called “Build Your Life Resume“, an eight week long life coaching program that helps others live their life to the fullest.

Jesse’s married to Sara Blakely, a billionaire businesswoman known for inventing Spanx intimate apparel company.

All books written by Jesse Itzler: