Scott A. Jones Net Worth, Relationships, Age/Birthdate & Birthday

Scott A. Jones is an American tech entrepreneur and inventor best known for pioneering voicemail commercialization and founding music-data pioneer Gracenote.

Introduction

Scott A. Jones is a seminal figure in the evolution of digital communication and music metadata — an entrepreneur whose innovations helped shape voicemail services and digital music recognition long before streaming became mainstream. Born on October 27, 1960, Jones carved out a remarkable career marked by bold ventures and considerable financial success, with his estimated net worth often cited around US$100 million. Over time, personal and financial turbulence — including a highly publicized divorce and heavy spending — have complicated his fortunes.

As for his personal life, public records indicate a complex journey: at one point, he was married to Vee Lee, though the relationship ended in a contentious divorce. 

Below is a clear, accessible snapshot of the man — his achievements, his challenges, and his lasting legacy.

Quick Facts (Table Summary)

From Midwest Roots to Digital Innovation

Growing up, Scott A. Jones cultivated a fascination with technology and a curious, inventive mind — traits that would serve as the foundation for his entrepreneurial path. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Indiana University in 1984, he quickly immersed himself in the burgeoning world of telephony and digital communications. 

At age 25, together with a partner, he co-founded Boston Technology, a company focused on transforming voicemail from a niche service into a scalable, metro-wide solution. Their early innovations made voicemail far more accessible and economical — a leap that helped usher voicemail into mainstream adoption.

Defining moments in Scott A. Jones’s journey include:

• Launching Boston Technology in his mid-20s and spearheading voicemail technology expansion. 

• Founding Gracenote (originally CDDB), which became a backbone of digital music metadata used by major platforms. 

• Creating Escient Technologies in 1996, channeling internet power into home entertainment and tech-appliance convergence. 

• Launching ChaCha in 2006 — a human-powered Q&A service backed by high-profile investors, marking Jones's foray into social search and mobile answers. 

Through these moves, Jones became known for his ability to identify nascent technologies and build companies ahead of market trends — a hallmark of entrepreneurial foresight.

The Core Pillars of Scott A. Jones’s Wealth

The financial success that defined much of Jones’s public profile stemmed from several pillars:

This diversified approach — telecom, music metadata, home-tech, and web services — allowed Jones to build substantial wealth cumulatively over decades.

Relationships & Personal Life: Triumphs and Turmoil

Scott A. Jones’s personal life has garnered almost as much public attention as his business endeavors.

• He was married to Vee Lee, a poker player who won tournaments in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Their relationship, once high-profile and glamorous, ended in a dramatic divorce, widely reported in 2021. 

• The divorce reportedly had severe financial and personal impacts: court filings indicated large liabilities, and Jones conceded in a candid interview that he was experiencing hardship. 

• Jones is known to have a deep affection for dogs — at one point, he had seven pet dogs, a detail that landed him in a “USA Today” feature about “Dog-Loving CEOs.” 

Key insights into Scott A. Jones’s relationships and personal life:

• The end of his marriage marked a turning point, coinciding with financial instability despite prior immense wealth. 

• His personal lifestyle — homes, extravagance, social status — contributed to his public image as a flashy, risk-taking entrepreneur. 

• Outside of romance, Jones’s love for pets and philanthropy offered glimpses of a more gentle, giving side beyond the high-stakes business persona. 

Beyond Career: Lifestyle, Assets & Passions

Beyond startup launches and board seats, Scott A. Jones’s lifestyle — once lavish — reflected a taste for extravagance and showmanship.

• He owned an opulent mansion in Carmel, Indiana — a property once dubbed MTV’s “Home of the Decade,” with over-the-top features including a spiral mahogany slide to a bar.

• Jones was known to host high-profile parties and social gatherings; local reports mention legendary Super Bowl parties, social events with sports figures, and over-the-top philanthropy including contributions to cultural and educational institutions in Indiana.

• His philanthropic engagement extended to supporting community institutions such as local schools, museums, and technology outreach, reflecting a desire to give back to his community.

• He has also been involved in shaping regional tech culture: for example, chairing the Indiana Technology Partnership and influencing tech-education and workforce initiatives through ventures like GrowIndiana Media Ventures. 

Even as his financial tides shifted, these aspects of his life speak to a complex personality — one drawn both to excess and to legacy-building.

Net Worth Breakdown & Analysis

Estimating net worth for entrepreneurs like Scott A. Jones can be complicated — fortunes rise and fall with company valuations, personal spending, and market shifts. Yet several reputable sources converge on similar figures.

Note: Some reports — notably a 2021 profile — contend that Jones “burned through” what was once a more than US$400 million fortune, leaving him facing significant financial liabilities. 

The discrepancy between peak wealth and later estimates underscores how fluid net worth can be for serial entrepreneurs — especially those blending business risk, personal spending, and market volatility.

Public Image, Legacy & Influence

Scott A. Jones’s story is a cautionary — and inspiring — tale about the rise and fragility of entrepreneurial success. In Indiana and beyond, he became a symbol of what was possible with ambition and technological vision: voicemail at scale, the early architecture behind digital music recognition, and ventures that bridged entertainment, tech, and everyday life.

Yet his later struggles — financial collapse, personal drama — humanized him in a way many high-flying founders are not. Journalists who profiled him noted the fall from “super-rich socialite” to “man rebuilding in public,” a transition that generated empathy and scrutiny in equal measure. 

Through his earlier success, support for technological infrastructure, and attempts to influence workforce training and regional tech growth, Jones left a lasting imprint on the Indiana tech ecosystem. 

He remains a complex figure — a visionary, a risk-taker, and a cautionary example of how quickly fortunes can change.

Conclusion

Scott A. Jones’s story is one of dramatic peaks and precipitous drops. From his birth on October 27, 1960, to his founding of companies that helped transform voicemail and digital music, he built a reputation — and a fortune — many can only dream of. With an estimated net worth often cited around US$100 million, his name is etched into the history of telecom and digital-music innovation.

Yet the chapters that followed — marked by extravagant spending, personal upheaval, and financial hardship — offer a sober reflection on the precariousness of success. His divorce, public financial disclosures, and shifting professional fortunes give a deeply human dimension to a life once celebrated for glamour and tech triumphs.

Still, Jones’s contributions — to voicemail technology, music metadata, and regional tech infrastructure — remain significant. His birthday and birthdate anchor the timeline; his net worth figures tell only part of the story. What endures is his impact: a blend of brilliant innovation, bold ambition, and the kind of human vulnerability that reminds us success is never guaranteed.