Misplaced Pages

Latest revision as of 05:39, 4 January 2025

Robert Kraft
Kraft in 2023
Born	(1941-06-05) June 5, 1941 (age 83) Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S.
Education	Columbia University (BA) Harvard University (MBA)
Occupation	Businessman
Known for	Kraft Group
Spouses	Myra Hiatt ​ ​(m. 1963; died 2011)​ Dana Blumberg ​(m. 2022)​
Children	4 (including Daniel, Jonathan and Josh)
Relatives	Jacob Hiatt (father-in-law)
American football player American football career
New England Patriots
Position:	Principal owner
Career history
As an executive:
New England Patriots (1994–present) Principal owner
Career highlights and awards
6× Super Bowl champion (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLIX, LI, LIII) George Halas Award (2012) Theodore Roosevelt Award (2006) U.S. Open Cup (2007)

Robert Kenneth Kraft (born June 5, 1941) is an American billionaire businessman. He is the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Kraft Group, a diversified holding company with assets in paper and packaging, sports and entertainment, real estate development, and a private equity portfolio. Since 1994, Kraft has owned the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He also owns the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer (MLS), which he founded in 1996, and the esport-based Boston Uprising, which Kraft founded in 2017. As of July 2024, he has an estimated net worth of US$11.1 billion according to Forbes.

Early life and education

Kraft was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, the son of Sarah Bryna (Webber) and Harry Kraft, a dress manufacturer in Boston's Chinatown. His mother was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia; his father was a lay leader at Congregation Kehillath Israel in Brookline and wanted his son to become a rabbi. The Krafts were a Modern Orthodox Jewish family. Robert attended the Edward Devotion School and graduated from Brookline High School. As a child, he sold newspapers outside of Braves Field in Boston. During high school, Kraft was unable to participate in most sports because it interfered with his after-school Hebrew studies and observance of the Sabbath.

Kraft attended Columbia University on an academic scholarship and he served as class president. He played tennis and safety on the school's freshman and lightweight football teams. During that time, Kraft also lived in Carman Hall. He met Myra Hiatt at a delicatessen in Boston's Back Bay in 1962, and they married in June 1963. Kraft graduated from Columbia that same year, and he received an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1965.

Kraft was elected chairman of the Newton Democratic City Committee when he was 27. Kraft considered running against Representative Philip J. Philbin in 1970 but chose not to, citing the loss of privacy and strain on his family that politics would have caused. Kraft was further discouraged from entering politics by the 1970 suicide of his friend State Representative H. James Shea, Jr.

Business career

Kraft began his professional career with the Rand-Whitney Group, a Worcester-based packaging company run by his father-in-law Jacob Hiatt. In 1968, he gained control of the company through a leveraged buyout. Kraft remains the chairman. In 1972, he founded International Forest Products, a trader of physical paper commodities. The two combined companies make up the largest privately held paper and packaging companies in the United States. Kraft has stated that he started the company out of a hunch that the increase in international communications and transportation would lead to an expansion of global trade in the late twentieth century.

International Forest Products became a top 100 US exporter/importer in 1997 and in 2001 was ranked No. 7 on the Journal of Commerce's list in that category. Kraft said of the business in 1991 that, "We do things for a number of companies, including Avon, Kodak, cosmetics companies, candies, toys." The company produced both corrugated and folding cartons, which he stated, "are used to package everything from the Patriot missile, to mints, to Estee Lauder, Indiana Glass and Polaroid." Kraft acquired interests in other areas, and ultimately formed the Kraft Group as an umbrella for them in 1998.

Kraft was an investor in New England Television Corp., which gained control of the channel 7 license for Boston in 1982, and he became a director of the board a year later, after the newly licensed station, WNEV-TV, signed on, replacing the former WNAC-TV. In 1986, Kraft was named president of the corporation. In 1991, Kraft exercised his option to sell his shares for an estimated $25 million.

Sports ownership

Boston Lobsters

In 1974, Kraft and five others purchased the Boston Lobsters of World TeamTennis (WTT). The group spent heavily to lure a number of top players, including Martina Navratilova, and the Lobsters became one of the best teams in WTT. Following the 1978 season, Kraft announced that the franchise would fold. The league itself folded soon thereafter.

After the Lobsters folded, Kraft was also mentioned as a bidder for the Boston Red Sox and the Boston Celtics.

New England Patriots

Kraft has been a New England Patriots fan since their American Football League days and had been a season ticket holder since 1971 when the team moved to Schaefer Stadium. In 1985, he bought a 10-year option on Foxboro Raceway, a horse track adjacent to the stadium, and the purchase prevented Patriots owner Billy Sullivan from holding non-Patriot events at the stadium while races were being held. Kraft took advantage of the fact that the Sullivans owned the stadium but not the surrounding land, and it was the beginning of a quest to buy the stadium and the Patriots. Sullivan's family was reeling from a series of bad investments, principally The Jackson Five 1984 Victory Tour, for which they had to pledge Sullivan Stadium as collateral. Those problems ultimately forced Sullivan to sell controlling interest of the team in 1988, while the stadium lapsed into bankruptcy.

In 1988, Kraft outbid several competitors to buy the stadium out of bankruptcy court from Sullivan for $22 million. The stadium was considered to be outdated and nearly worthless, but the purchase included the stadium's lease to the Patriots which ran through 2001. Kraft placed a bid on the Patriots franchise as well, but he lost the bidding to Victor Kiam. Sullivan and Kiam then tried to move the team to Jacksonville, but Kraft refused to let them break the lease. Kiam was nearly brought down by bad investments of his own and was forced to sell the Patriots to James Orthwein in 1992.

In 1994, Orthwein offered Kraft $75 million to buy out the remainder of the team's lease at Foxboro Stadium, but Kraft turned it down. Orthwein was not interested in operating the team in New England and decided to sell it. However, due to terms in the operating covenant, any potential buyer would have to negotiate with Kraft. With this in mind, Kraft launched what amounted to a hostile takeover, offering $172 million for an outright purchase which Orthwein accepted. It was the highest price ever paid for an NFL team at the time. While future St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke had actually offered more money ($200 million), Orthwein would have had to bear all of the team's relocation expenses. Orthwein would have also been responsible for paying any legal expenses from breaking the lease. With Kraft let it be known that he would go to court to enforce the covenant and force Kroenke to stay in Foxboro, Orthwein was in an untenable position. He had little choice but to accept Kraft's bid.

Kraft said that his passion for the Patriots led him to "break every one of my financial rules" in his pursuit of the team. Indeed, Kraft still believes he "overpaid" for the franchise. Kraft still keeps a Victory Tour poster in his office as a reminder of what set in motion the events that allowed him to buy the Patriots. Following the NFL's approval of the sale, the Patriots sold out their entire 1994 season, the first full sell-out in franchise history. Every Patriots home game–preseason, regular season, and playoffs–has been sold out ever since. In 2023, the Patriots were one of the most valuable franchises in the NFL, estimated by Forbes to be worth $7 billion.

In 1998, Kraft considered moving the Patriots to Hartford, Connecticut, based on an offer that the state of Connecticut would finance a new stadium, but he terminated the deal just before it became binding to instead build a new stadium in Foxborough with Massachusetts infrastructure funding. In 2002, Kraft financed a $350-million stadium for the Patriots initially called CMGI Field but renamed Gillette Stadium. In 2007, he began to develop the land around Gillette Stadium, creating a $375-million open-air shopping and entertainment center called Patriot Place. The development included "The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon," a multi-story museum and hall of fame attached to the stadium, and the "CBS Scene," a CBS-themed restaurant.

On January 27, 2000, Kraft traded a first round draft pick to the New York Jets for the rights to hire Bill Belichick as head coach. The trade was met with criticism at the time, but proved to be successful after Belichick led the Patriots to win six Super Bowl championships, nine conference championships, and 16 division titles. In 2000, the Patriots drafted quarterback Tom Brady in the sixth round, who would be the team's starter from 2001 to 2019. The relationship between Kraft, Belichick, and Brady has been credited with producing one of the most successful sports dynasties in football, although in later years the personal relationship between the three grew strained.

Under Kraft's ownership, the Patriots experienced sustained success for the first time in franchise history. While they appeared in Super Bowl XX under the Sullivans, this was one of only six playoff appearances in 34 years. Indeed, that Super Bowl season saw only the second playoff victory in franchise history. However, the Patriots have made the playoffs 21 times in Kraft's 27 years as owner. They have won 19 AFC East titles, including all but three since 2001 and 11 in a row from 2009 to 2019. The Patriots represented the AFC in the Super Bowl in 1996 (lost), 2001 (won), 2003 (won), 2004 (won), 2007 (lost), 2011 (lost), 2014 (won), 2016 (won), 2017 (lost) and 2018 (won). After having never won more than 11 games prior to Kraft's arrival, the Patriots have won at least 12 games 14 times, including finishing the 2007 regular season undefeated before losing to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.

Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday, referring to Kraft's role in helping to settle the NFL lockout before the 2011 season, said "He is a man who helped us save football."

In 2005, during a visit to Saint Petersburg, Kraft gave Russian President Vladimir Putin his third Super Bowl ring. Kraft released a statement some days after the visit claiming that it was a gift out of "respect and admiration" for the Russian people and Putin's leadership. Kraft later said that he did not originally intend to give the ring as a gift and that his statement had been issued under pressure from the White House after Putin had kept the ring. The ring is on display with state gifts at the Kremlin.

Former Patriot Ryan O'Callaghan wrote in his book that Kraft supported him when he publicly came out as gay in 2017. According to O'Callaghan, Kraft invited him to a reception and said, "What you did took a lot of courage. I'm so proud of you" and that he would be "forever a Patriot."

Soccer

In 1996, Kraft founded the New England Revolution, a charter member of Major League Soccer which began playing alongside the Patriots at Foxboro Stadium. Kraft also owned the San Jose Clash (later San Jose Earthquakes) from 1998 to 2000.

In November 2005, Kraft met with Rick Parry, the chief executive of English Premier League team Liverpool. Kraft was rumored to be interested in investing money into the 2004–05 Champions League winners. He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Liverpool is a great brand and it's something our family respects a lot. We're always interested in opportunities and growing, so you never know what can happen." However, the club was eventually sold to American duo George Gillett and Tom Hicks. Liverpool is now owned by Fenway Sports Group, owners of fellow Boston-based sport team the Boston Red Sox.

In October 2017, Kraft said that he was "still intrigued" by the possibility of buying a Premier League football club, but that he was concerned about the lack of a salary cap in British football.

In 2017, Kraft was named the Honorary Chairman of the board of directors for the successful joint Canadian-Mexican-American bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

In 2019, Kraft hired Bruce Arena as head coach and sporting director of the New England Revolution. In 2020, the team had their first playoff win in six years.

Esports

Blizzard Entertainment announced in July 2017 that Kraft bought ownership in the Boston Uprising, one of the first seven teams for the professional esports Overwatch League. They played in Season 1 of the Overwatch League. Preseason for the league began December 6, 2017, and the regular season started on January 10, 2018. Boston Uprising finished third in the Overwatch League's inaugural season.

Philanthropy

The Krafts have donated hundreds of millions of dollars to philanthropic work including education, child- and women-related issues, healthcare, youth sports and American and Israeli causes. Among the institutions the Krafts have supported are Columbia University, Harvard Business School, Brandeis University, the College of the Holy Cross, Boston College, Tufts University, Yeshiva University, the Belmont Hill School, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston.

In 1989, Myra and Robert Kraft launched the Passport to Israel Fund, in collaboration with Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston (CJP), to help parents send their teenage children to Israel. One of their most distinctive projects is supporting American Football Israel, including Kraft Family Stadium in Jerusalem and the Kraft Family Israel Football League. In 1990, Kraft, his wife, and his father-in-law funded a joint professorship between Brandeis University and the College of the Holy Cross, forming the Kraft-Hiatt endowed chairs in comparative religion – the first inter-religious endowed chairs in the United States.

In 2000, Kraft donated $11.5 million to construct the Columbia/Hillel which is made of the same white stone used in Jerusalem. In 2007, after a $5 million payment to Columbia's intercollegiate athletics program, the playing field at Columbia's Lawrence A. Wien Stadium at the Baker Field Athletics Complex was named Robert K. Kraft Field.

In 2011, the Krafts pledged $20 million to Partners HealthCare to launch the Kraft Family National Center for Leadership and Training in Community Health, an initiative designed to improve access to quality healthcare at community health centers throughout New England. The Krafts supported the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

Following the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, Kraft announced he would match up to $100,000 in donations made for the victims through the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation.

In 2017, Kraft announced a contribution of $6 million to build the first regulation-size American football field in Israel. In June 2017, Kraft, along with several NFL Hall of Famers, traveled to Israel for the grand opening of the new Kraft Family Sports Campus. He has led additional "Touchdown in Israel" trips to Israel, with Patriots and Hall of Famers, since that 2017 trip. That same year, Kraft funded a new van as part of the Kraft Center for Community Health at Massachusetts General Hospital in order to help combat the opioid crisis in Boston. The vans allow those with opioid addiction to seek health services in their own neighborhoods.

In 2018, Kraft donated $10 million to Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston for the renovation of its headquarters in downtown Boston. In 2019, Kraft, along with Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich, hosted a soccer match between the New England Revolution and Chelsea F.C., called Final Whistle on Hate, to raise money to combat antisemitism. The match raised an estimated $4 million, with Kraft personally contributing $1 million toward the fund.

In June 2019, Kraft received Israel's Genesis Prize. While at the event in Jerusalem, Kraft pledged $20 million to establish a foundation that will fight antisemitism and combat the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. The next month, he pledged $100,000 to the families of seven motorcyclists killed in a crash the month before. Kraft donated $20,000 and attended the memorial in Worcester to honor fallen firefighter Christopher Roy on the one-year anniversary of his death. Kraft teamed with recording artists Jay-Z and Meek Mill, as well as Michael G. Rubin, the executive chairman of Fanatics, among others to announce a foundation of criminal justice reform called REFORM Alliance. In coordination with the REFORM Alliance, Kraft invited more than 50 children (ages 5–17) to fly on the Patriots' team charter to attend the Patriots game against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium. The children attending the game each had parents who have been incarcerated for technical probation violations. As of 2019, Kraft had led 27 missions to Israel.

In 2020, Kraft partnered with Chinese company Tencent to purchase 1.2 million N95 masks to donate to medical workers in New York and Massachusetts to help combat the coronavirus pandemic, sending the Patriots' private team plane to China to pick up the supplies. Kraft initially negotiated for 1.7 million masks, but only 1.2 million fit on board. They were allowed three hours on the ground in China at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport. The plane was used to deliver 500,000 vaccines to El Salvador in May 2021. Using the Patriots truck, they distributed 300,000 masks in New York City, 900,000 masks in Massachusetts and 100,000 in Rhode Island.

In May 2020, Kraft put his Super Bowl LI ring up for auction with proceeds designated to help feed those facing food insecurity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kraft lent the Patriots team plane to the University of Rhode Island Rams football team in October 2021 after the team's charter flight fell through. He covered all costs despite the URI Rams expecting to pay expenses through the team's budget.

In April 2022, Harvard Business School announced the creation of the Robert K. Kraft Family Fellowship Fund, committing $24 million to benefit potential students with limited means to attend HBS.

On October 30, 2022, the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism (FCAS), which was founded by Kraft, sponsored an ad encouraging people to denounce hate against Jewish people. The ad aired during NFL games and was titled ”Stand Up to Jewish Hate.” This action came in response to antisemitic comments made by Kanye West and later Kyrie Irving. Kraft invested $25 million in the "Stand Up to Jewish Hate" campaign which launched through the foundation in March 2023 to raise awareness concerning antisemitism found online. The foundation's executive director indicated that ads would air during the NFL draft, NBA and NHL playoffs as well as by social media influencers.

In April 2024, Kraft stopped funding Columbia University because of its alleged treatment of Jewish students and staff, citing "virulent hate."

Personal life

In June 1963, Kraft married Myra Nathalie Hiatt, a 1964 graduate of Brandeis University and the daughter of the late Worcester, Massachusetts, businessman and philanthropist Jacob Hiatt. She died on July 20, 2011, of ovarian cancer, at the age of 68. The Krafts were members of Temple Emanuel in Newton, Massachusetts. A patch bearing Kraft's initials (MHK) appeared on the Patriots' uniform jersey throughout the 2011 season. The couple had four sons: Jonathan A. Kraft, Daniel A. Kraft, Joshua M. Kraft, and David H. Kraft.

In June 2012, Kraft began dating actress Ricki Noel Lander, who was 38 years his junior. In July 2012, Kraft assisted Lander in creating an audition video for a role in The Internship. The lines in the script were sexual in nature, and Kraft released a statement in which he stated that he regretted that the audition tape was made public. Lander and Kraft broke up in 2018.

In 2017, Kraft donated $1 million for Trump's inauguration day celebrations. In 2020, NBA coach Gregg Popovich called Kraft "hypocritical" for supporting Trump while claiming to advocate for social justice.

In 2019, Kraft was among 25 people facing first-degree misdemeanor charges for soliciting prostitution at a day spa. His attorney electronically entered a not-guilty plea, and later submitted a court filing where Kraft waived arraignment, pled not guilty to all charges and requested a jury trial. A memo filed by Kraft's attorneys revealed that hidden cameras had been installed when investigators entered the facility under the guise of a bomb threat. A Palm Beach County judge ruled that prosecutors could not use the videos in their case, citing privacy concerns. A Florida appeals court also ruled that Kraft's constitutional rights were violated, and all the charges were dropped. US District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz ordered the videos to be destroyed.

On March 5, 2022, an announcement was made by Tommy Hilfiger at the inaugural amfAR Gala Palm Beach event that Kraft and his partner, Dana Blumberg, had become engaged. They got married in New York City on October 14, 2022.

Awards and honors

NFL

• Six-time Super Bowl champion (as the owner of the Patriots: XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLIX, LI, LIII)
• George Halas Award (2012)

NCAA

• Theodore Roosevelt Award (2006)
• John Jay Award from Columbia University (1987)
• Alexander Hamilton Medal from Columbia University (2004)
• Columbia University football field renamed Robert K. Kraft Field.
• Honorary doctorate in humane letters (2015) from Yeshiva University.

MLS

• New England Revolution (as the owner): 2021 Supporters Shield, 2007 U.S. Open Cup

Organizational

• Inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2011).
• Carnegie Hall Medal of Excellence (2013)
• Genesis Prize (2019)

References

1. ^ Kindleberger, Richard (December 19, 1993). "The family man: Ties that bind pull at Patriots bidder, the complex Robert Kraft". The Boston Globe – via Newspapers.com.
2. Robert Kraft, Chairman & CEO, The Kraft Group, Forbes Real Time Net Worth (as of 26 July 2024)
3. "Honor Harry Kraft 25th Yarzheit" (PDF). Congki.org. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
4. "Owner honed his Kraft in Canada" – via PressReader.
5. New York Times: "'Between You and Me'" By Mike Wallace with Gary Paul Gates January 22, 2006
6. Baird, Susanna (November 14, 2014). "Kraft cements his love for the old alma mater: Brookline High fetes Patriot owner". Boston Globe. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
7. ^ Massachusetts Live: "For New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, an off-season of personal tragedy, professional triumph" By Howard Ulman September 6, 2011
8. "Jewish Owners Face Off in Super Bowl XLVI". Jspace. February 4, 2012. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013.
9. "Robert Kraft". Forbes. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
10. Drosnin, Michael (March 12, 1963). "Withhold Class Funds, Letter Asks Seniors: Kraft Claims Message Will Not Hurt Drive". Columbia Spectator. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
11. Thomas, Oliver. "Patriots owner Robert Kraft to receive honorary doctorate". New England Patriots. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
12. Aleman, Magbic. "Notable Alumni". Retrieved March 26, 2016.
13. "Robert Kraft to Be Inducted to Columbia University Athletics Hall of Fame" by Paige Allen June 18, 2012
14. "Columbia Spectator 25 March 2005 — Columbia Spectator". spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
15. Paulson, Michael (March 18, 2007). "Giving Large". The Boston Globe.
16. "Kraft Urges Class of 2005: Dream Big, Take Risks, Have Fun". www.college.columbia.edu. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
17. ^ McGarvie, Blythe J. (2009). Shaking the Globe: Courageous Decision-Making in a Changing World. John Wiley & Sons. p. 10. ISBN 9780470485019. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
18. International Forest Products LLC website: "IFP ranked 27th among largest U.S. exporters and first among New England exporters" May 29, 2012
19. Borchers, Callum (May 29, 2013). "Kraft paper firm honored for exports". Boston Globe. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
20. "Top 100 US importer and exporter rankings 2019". www.joc.com. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
21. Yokum, Keith (April 21, 1991). "Cardboard economics". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
22. "NETV's Officers, Investors". The Boston Globe. May 9, 1982.
23. "Kraft Named President of N.E. Television". The Boston Globe. February 15, 1987. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
24. "Major investor will depart Ch. 7". The Boston Globe. June 28, 1991. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
25. "New Boston Net Team Obtains Six Backers". Berkshire Eagle. March 28, 1975. p. 18.
26. Kirshenbaum, Jerry (November 6, 1978). "A Question of Resolve". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
27. McDonough, Will (July 26, 1987). "Sullivans' Team in Loss Column". The Boston Globe.
28. ^ Burke, Monte (September 19, 2015). "Unlikely Dynasty". Forbes.
29. Harris, David (1986). The League: The Rise and Decline of the NFL. New York: Bantam Books. pp. 629–32. ISBN 0-553-05167-9.
30. ^ Farinella, Mark (June 27, 2009). "Jackson's part in Pats' history was real 'thriller'". The Sun Chronicle. Attleboro, Massachusetts. Retrieved September 25, 2012.
31. Pazniokas, Mark; Garber, Greg (December 13, 1998). "The Art of Kraft". Hartford Courant.
32. MacMullan, Jackie (July 30, 1988). "Kraft Pursues Stadium". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
33. "For New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, an off-season of personal tragedy, professional triumph". Mass Live. Associated Press. September 6, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
34. Corbett, Jim (November 13, 2014). "Patriot's Robert Kraft Talks Goodell, Gronk and Brady". USA Today. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
35. Kaufman, Andy (February 10, 2015). "Boston Sports Fans Lucky to Not Have a James Dolan among Local Owners". Boston Globe. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
36. "New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft featured on all-new episode of Forbes SportsMoney". Yes Network. February 20, 2015. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
38. ^ Thomas, Robert McG. Jr. (January 22, 1994). "Sold! Time to Call Them the New England Permanents". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
39. DeVito, Carlo (2014). Parcells: The Unauthorized Biography. Triumph Books. p. 170. ISBN 9781633191372. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
40. Full 2023 NFL franchise values: Which team is worth the most?", nbcboston.com (quoting Forbes), August 31, 2023
41. Doyle, Paul (March 18, 2014). "Hartford's Flirtation With The Patriots Ended In Heartbreak". Hartford Courant.
42. Olster, Scott (November 3, 2010). "Football's true Patriot". Fortune. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
43. Quinn, Kevin G. (2011). The Economics of the National Football League: The State of the Art. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 130. ISBN 9781441962898. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
44. O'Connell, James C. (2013). The Hub's Metropolis: Greater Boston's Development from Railroad Suburbs to Smart Growth. MIT Press. p. 244. ISBN 9780262018753. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
45. Guregian, Karen (January 25, 2020). "Robert Kraft, Patriots still smiling on 20th anniversary of Bill Belichick trade". Boston Herald. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
46. "New England Patriots book goes inside secretive and controversial franchise and Robert Kraft, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
47. CBSBoston.com Staff (January 21, 2021). "Throwback Thursday: Robert Kraft Purchased Patriots 27 Years Ago Today". Retrieved April 1, 2021.
48. ^ Libon, Daniel (December 14, 2014). "Game Notes: Patriots Clinch AFC East With Win Over Miami Dolphins: The Patriots won 41–13". Foxborough Patch. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
49. Reiss, Mike (July 25, 2011). "Saturday: Kraft helped save football". ESPN. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
50. "Super Bowl ring has 124 diamonds". ESPN. Associated Press. June 29, 2005. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
51. Smith, Michael David (June 15, 2013). "Putin said 'I can kill someone with this', took Kraft's Super Bowl ring". ProFootballTalk.com. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
52. Farrar, Doug (June 15, 2013). "Robert Kraft says that Vladimir Putin stole his Super Bowl ring, which the Kremlin denies". Shutdown Corner. Yahoo! Sports.
53. Eshchenko, Alla; Karimi, Faith (June 16, 2013). "Russian president: I did not steal Super Bowl ring". CNN.
54. Swaine, Jon (June 16, 2013). "Vladimir Putin 'stole a $25,000 ring from New England Patriots owner'". The Telegraph.
56. Smith, Michael David (June 16, 2013). "Spokesman for Putin denies he stole Kraft's Super Bowl ring". ProFootballTalk.com. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
57. Gleeson, Scott (August 28, 2019). "Ex-Patriots lineman Ryan O'Callaghan, who came out as gay, recalls Robert Kraft's support". USA Today.
58. "A New Sports League". Newsweek. 1996. p. 94.
59. "Club History". San Jose Earthquakes. July 10, 2015. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
60. "Kraft admits Liverpool interest". BBC Sport. November 14, 2005. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
61. "Robert Kraft 'still intrigued' by prospect of buying Premier League club". BBC Sport. October 12, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
62. "New England Revolution Hire Bruce Arena As Head Coach And Sporting Director". May 14, 2019. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
63. Mastrodonato, Jason (November 24, 2020). "Mastrodonato: Revolution, not the Patriots, are the Krafts' success story in 2020". Boston Herald. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
64. Gartenberg, Chaim (July 12, 2017). "Blizzard announces first Overwatch League teams and owners, including Robert Kraft and Jeff Wilpon". The Verge. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
65. "The Overwatch League: Schedule". The Overwatch League. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
66. "Standings". overwatchleague.com. Activision Blizzard. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
67. Calabrese, Joe (January 18, 2015). "Robert Kraft: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
68. ^ "Philanthropist/Patriots owner to keynote YU graduation". Jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com.
69. Uek, Kathy. "Kraft helping to build bridges to Israel". MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
70. "Brandeis and Holy Cross to Share a Professorship". The Boston Globe. September 13, 1990. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2015 – via Wayback Machine.
71. Archibold, Randal C. (April 3, 2000). "New Home At Columbia For Center For Jews". The New York Times.
72. ^ Battista, Judy (October 12, 2007). "Owner of Patriots Is Donating $5 Million to Columbia". The New York Times. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
73. "Founding Story". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
74. Giving, Mass General (January 1, 2017). "The one hundred honoree: Robert Kraft". Massachusetts General Hospital Giving. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
75. Breech, John (April 16, 2013). "Robert Kraft donating up to $100,000 to Boston Marathon victims". CBS Sports. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
76. "Patriots Owner Kraft to Donate $6 Million for Israel's First American Football Stadium". Algemeiner.com.
77. Julian, Hana Levi (June 20, 2017). "Mayor Nir Barkat, NE Patriots' Robert Kraft & NFL Hall of Famers' Delegation Open Kraft Family Sports Campus in Jerusalem". Jewishpress.com.
78. McArdle, Tommy. "Robert Kraft and current and former Patriots are traveling to Israel | Boston.com". www.boston.com. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
79. Chesto, Jon. "Kraft-funded van will bring addiction services to city streets". The Boston Globe. BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
80. Halpern, Joe. "Krafts honor family legacy at newly renovated CJP building". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
81. Martin, Liam (May 15, 2019). "Final Whistle On Hate: Revolution, Chelsea FC Fight Anti-Semitism". Retrieved April 19, 2021.
82. Masters, James (May 16, 2019). "Chelsea and New England Revolution team up to blow 'final whistle on hate'". CNN. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
83. "Patriots owner Robert Kraft pledges $20M to fight anti-Semitism". NFL.com. June 20, 2019. Archived from the original on June 21, 2019.
84. ^ "Robert Kraft to Establish a Foundation to Combat Anti-Semitism, BDS, Delegitimization of Israel". New England Patriots. June 20, 2019.
85. Aaro, David (July 13, 2019). "Patriots owner Robert Kraft pledges $100G to families of bikers killed in NH crash". Fox News. Foxnews.com. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
86. Lee, Brian. "Kraft Foundation donates $20,000 for Worcester Fire Department memorials fund". telegram.com.
87. "Robert Kraft Praises First Responders At Christopher Roy Memorial" – via www.facebook.com.
88. "Robert Kraft flies 50 kids and their parents on private jet to see Patriots game, draw attention to criminal justice reform". The Boston Globe.
89. Heller, Aron (June 20, 2019). "Patriots owner pledges $20 million to fight anti-Semitism". AP NEWS. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
90. Beaton, Andrew (April 3, 2020). "A Million N95 Masks Are Coming from China—on Board the New England Patriots' Plane". The Wall Street Journal.
91. "Robert Kraft lends Patriots' plane to transport N95 masks from China". NBC Sports. April 2, 2020.
92. Lauletta, Tyler. "Patriots owner Robert Kraft explains how the team plane brought more than 1 million N95 masks to the US: 'The most challenging operation our organization ever had to do'". Insider. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
93. Beaton, Andrew (April 3, 2020). "A Million N95 Masks Are Coming From China—on Board the New England Patriots' Plane". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
94. "Patriots' Team Jet Bringing 1.2 Million Masks from China Arrives In Boston". TMZ. April 3, 2020. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
95. "Patriots' Plane Delivers 500K Chinese Vaccine Doses to El Salvador". NBC Sports. May 21, 2021.
96. Holmes, Kristen; Hassan, Carma; Williams, David (April 2, 2020). "New England Patriots team plane with 1.2 million N95 masks arrives from China to help ease shortages". CNN. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
97. "Patriots' Kraft auctioning Super Bowl LI ring for charity in All In Challenge". May 10, 2020.
98. "Patriots owner Robert Kraft lends team plane to undefeated University of Rhode Island football team". CBS Sports. October 19, 2021.
99. "Harvard Business School Announces New Robert K. Kraft Family Fellowship Fund". Harvard Business School. April 7, 2022.
100. Lukpat, Alyssa (October 31, 2022). "Robert Kraft Sponsors 'Stand Up to Jewish Hate' Ad After a Surge in Anti-Semitism". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
101. Dana Jacobson (March 27, 2023). "Patriots owner Robert Kraft on antisemitism in America: "It shouldn't happen here"". CBS News. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
102. Deepa Bharath (March 27, 2023). "Here's what to know about Robert Kraft's 'Stand Up to Jewish Hate' campaign". Boston.com. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
103. Garrity, Kelly (April 22, 2024). "Patriots owner Robert Kraft pulls support for Columbia amid 'virulent hate' on campus". Politico. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
104. Marquard, Bryan (July 20, 2011). "Myra Kraft, philanthropist and wife of New England Pats owner Robert Kraft, dead at 68". The Boston Globe.
105. "Patriots owner Robert Kraft talks about life, loneliness, and love". The Boston Globe. BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
106. Gershman, Andrew (January 23, 2012). "Bob Kraft: New England Patriots'Jewish owner". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles.
107. ."Pats' season, dedicated to Myra Kraft, continues to Super Bowl". National Football League. January 22, 2012.
108. Moore, Mary (November 17, 2008). "Josh Kraft: Someone to look up to". Boston Business Journal.
109. "Philanthropist Myra Kraft dies". ESPN July 20, 2011
110. Shanahan, Mark; Goldstein, Meredith (September 10, 2012). "Bob Kraft, Ricki Noel Lander hit US Open". The Boston Globe.
111. Shanahan, Mark; Goldstein, Meredith (July 12, 2012). "Robert Kraft and girlfriend Ricki Noel Lander arm in arm Thursday at Sun Valley media conference". The Boston Globe.
112. "A look inside the life of 76-year-old Robert Kraft and his much younger girlfriend, Ricki Noel Lander". Business Insider. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
113. "Toucher & Rich: Robert Kraft Helps Ricki Noel Lander With Audition Video". CBS Radio. July 11, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
114. "Robert Kraft's Audition Tape Is a Web Hit". ABC News. July 12, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
115. "Robert Kraft expresses regret over video". The Boston Globe. July 11, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
116. USA Today: "Pats' owner Kraft regrets video of audition with gal 'pal'" By Nate Davis July 11, 2012
117. In July 2012, Kraft assisted Lander in creating an audition video for a role in The Internship.
118. "Toucher & Rich: Robert Kraft Helps Ricki Noel Lander With Audition Video - CBS Boston". www.cbsnews.com. July 11, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
119. "Robert Kraft Regrets Audition Video Went Public - CBS Boston". www.cbsnews.com. July 11, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
120. Feldberg, Isaac (July 14, 2019). "Robert Kraft steps out with new woman". The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
121. "Patriots Owner Robert Kraft 'Thrilled' Girlfriend Welcomed Baby 'Last Fall' but Denies Paternity". People. May 1, 2018. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
122. Swaine, Jon (November 9, 2017). "Trump ally Robert Kraft revealed as longtime owner of offshore firm". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
123. "Gregg Popovich Calls Robert Kraft, Other NFL Owners 'Hypocritical' For Supporting President Trump - CBS Boston". www.cbsnews.com. June 14, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
124. Chappell, Bill (February 25, 2019). "Robert Kraft Is Formally Charged With Solicitation Over Visits To Florida Day Spa". NPR. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
125. "Patriots owner Robert Kraft facing charges of soliciting a prostitute". ESPN. February 22, 2019. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
126. Quinn, T.J. (March 20, 2019). "Source: Kraft files motion to suppress evidence". ESPN. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
127. Blaskey, Sarah; Nehamas, Nicholas; Ostroff, Caitlin (March 8, 2019). "Trump cheered Patriots to Super Bowl victory with founder of spa where Kraft was busted". Miami Herald. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
129. Carroll, Charlotte (February 28, 2019). "Robert Kraft Pleads Not Guilty to Solicitation of Prostitution". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
130. "Robert Kraft pleads not guilty to soliciting prostitution". The Boston Globe. March 26, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019 – via Boston.com.
131. Reiss, Mike (March 23, 2019). "Kraft releases statement, says he is 'truly sorry'". ESPN. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
132. "Mar-a-Lago, massage parlours and selling access to the president". The Economist. March 14, 2019.
133. Yang, Nicole (February 23, 2019). "Read Robert Kraft's statement after getting charged with soliciting prostitution in Florida". Boston.com. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
135. "Robert Kraft's lawyers rip 'fake bomb threat' used to install hidden spa cameras". The Boston Globe. April 3, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019 – via Boston.com.
136. Ellement, John R.; Andersen, Travis; McDonald, Danny (April 17, 2019). "Prosecutors intend to eventually make Kraft video public". The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
137. Francescani, Chris; Margolin, Josh; Conway, Katie (April 17, 2019). "Judge halts prosecutors' efforts to release police surveillance video of Patriots owner Robert Kraft, others inside spa rooms". ABC News. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
138. Mangan, Dan (April 23, 2019). "Judge temporarily seals video of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft in prostitution case". CNBC. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
140. Spencer, Terry (May 13, 2019). "Judge: Kraft's prosecutors cannot use massage parlor video". Boston.com. AP. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
141. "Florida appeals court agrees to throw out video evidence in prostitution case against Patriots owner Robert Kraft". ABC News. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
142. "Florida decision likely clears Patriots owner of soliciting sex". NBC News. September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
143. Spencer, Terry (September 24, 2020). "Patriots owner Robert Kraft cleared of massage parlor sex charge". Boston.com. AP. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
144. Arsenault, Cassy; Rendon-Alvarez, Karla (October 2, 2019). "Prosecutors File Appeal to Permit Video Evidence in Robert Kraft Case". NBC Boston. Archived from the original on January 6, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
146. "Judge orders massage parlor video of Kraft destroyed". The Boston Globe. AP. January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
147. Kirkpatrick, Emily (March 7, 2022). "Tommy Hilfiger Announces Robert Kraft Is Engaged to Girlfriend Dana Blumberg". Vanity Fair.
148. Jacqueline Weiss (March 28, 2023). "Who Is Robert Kraft's Wife? All About Dana Blumberg". People. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
149. "Robert Kraft Wins George Halas Award". Boston.cbslocal.com. June 18, 2012. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
150. "Columbia Magazine". Columbia.edu. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
151. ^ "Robert K. Kraft". gocolumbialions.com The Official Athletics Website of Columbia University in the City of New York. January 30, 2013. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
152. "Robert Kraft to receive honorary degree". The Boston Globe.
153. "American Academy of Arts and Sciences to induct 231st Class of Members" (Press release). American Academy of Arts and Sciences. September 27, 2011. Archived from the original on April 23, 2010. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
154. "Robert Kraft receives Carnegie Hall award". Boston.com. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
155. "Patriots owner Robert Kraft pledges $20M to fight anti-Semitism". NFL.com. June 20, 2019. Archived from the original on June 21, 2019.
156. "Israel Awards Patriots Owner Kraft the 'Jewish Nobel' Prize". The New York Times. January 9, 2019. Retrieved May 22, 2019.

External links

• New England Patriots biography
• New England Revolution biography
• The Kraft Group
• Forbes 2011: The 400 Richest Americans: #263 Robert Kraft
• Forbes 2008: The 500 Largest American Private Companies: #326 The Kraft Group
• Forbes 2011: The World's Billionaires: #833 Robert Kraft

v t e Boston Uprising
Founded in 2017 Based in Boston, Massachusetts
Franchise	Franchise Seasons Players
Key personnel	Owner Robert Kraft (Kraft Group)
League affiliations	League Overwatch League Division Atlantic North
Affiliate teams	Uprising Academy (OWC)
Seasons	2018 2019 2020 2021
Category Commons

• 1941 births
• Living people
• American billionaires
• American chief executives of professional sports organizations
• American corporate directors
• American financiers
• American manufacturing businesspeople
• American media executives
• American people of Canadian descent
• American philanthropists
• American businesspeople in real estate
• American soccer chairmen and investors
• Boston College people
• Boston Uprising
• Brookline High School alumni
• Businesspeople from Boston
• Carnegie Hall Medal of Excellence winners
• Columbia College (New York) alumni
• Columbia University people
• Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• Harvard Business School alumni
• Jewish American sports executives and administrators
• Kraft family
• Major League Soccer executives
• Major League Soccer owners
• New England Patriots executives
• New England Patriots owners
• New England Revolution
• Businesspeople from Brookline, Massachusetts
• People named in the Paradise Papers
• Activists against antisemitism
• Anti-BDS activists
• Opposition to antisemitism in the United States
• American Zionists
• Jews from Massachusetts
• World TeamTennis owners