SAM Magazine—Aspen, Colo., June 26, 2023—James “Jim” Crown, an owner and managing partner of Aspen Skiing Company, died Sunday in a crash at the Aspen Motorsports Park, according to the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office. Crown was in a single-vehicle accident, colliding with an impact barrier at the private, member-owned motorsports country club located 8 miles north of Aspen. The incident is currently under investigation.  

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

Crown was chairman and CEO of Henry Crown and Co., a privately owned company that invests in public and private securities, real estate, and operating companies. At the time of his death, Crown served as the lead director of General Dynamics Corp., director of JPMorgan Chase, trustee of The Aspen Institute, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Civic Committee, and the University of Chicago.

The Crown family purchased half of Aspen Skiing Company in 1985 and bought out other owners in 1993. Crown was reportedly a key driver in gaining the approvals and ultimately developing the Snowmass Base Village. In 2017, the family partnered with Denver’s KSL Capital Partners to create Alterra Mountain Company.  

He was the grandson of industrialist Henry Crown and is survived by his wife, as well as four children and his parents. Crown was celebrating his 70th birthday.