James Crown, a businessman and trustee of The Aspen Institute, died in a crash at a Colorado race track on Sunday, his 70th birthday, officials said.
Crown hit a barrier at the Aspen Motorsports Park in a single-vehicle crash that was deemed an accident, the Pitkin County Coroner’s Office told The Aspen Times. The coroner’s office said the official cause of death is still pending autopsy but that “multiple blunt force trauma is evident.”
“The Crown family is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Jim Crown in an accident earlier today,” family spokesman Jacob Crows said in a statement Sunday night. “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 born in Chicago in 1953. He was chairman and chief executive officer of Henry Crown & Co., on the boards of JPMorgan and General Dynamic, a managing partner of Aspen Skiing Co. and the chairman of The Aspen Institute. President Barack Obama had appointed Crown to the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, as well.
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“I was devastated to hear of Jim Crown’s tragic passing this weekend,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement on Monday. “A lifelong Chicagoan, Jim gave back to the city through philanthropy and leadership on a number of civic and academic boards as he was deeply committed to investing in Chicago and its people. With his generosity, Jim truly embodied the soul of Chicago. I was especially grateful for his commitment to work collaboratively with my administration to build a safer Chicago, having met recently to share ideas. I send my deepest condolences to his wife, four children, grandchildren, and the entire Crown family and pray for their peace.”
Crown is survived by his wife, Paula, and their four children.
