Robert Kraft facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Kraft
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Kraft in 2023
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| Born | June 5, 1941 Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Education | Columbia University (BA) Harvard University (MBA) |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Kraft Group |
| Spouse(s) |
Myra Hiatt
(m. 1963; died 2011)Dana Blumberg
(m. 2022) |
| Children | 4 (including Daniel, Jonathan and Josh) |
| Relatives | Jacob Hiatt (father-in-law) |
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Football career |
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| New England Patriots | |
| Position: | Principal owner |
| Career history | |
| As executive: | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
Robert Kenneth Kraft (born June 5, 1941) is a very successful American businessman. He is the leader of the Kraft Group, a large company that owns many different businesses. These include companies in paper and packaging, sports and entertainment, and real estate.
Since 1994, Kraft has owned the New England Patriots, a famous team in the National Football League (NFL). He also started and owns the New England Revolution, a soccer team in Major League Soccer (MLS). In 2017, he founded the esport team Boston Uprising. As of July 2024, he is estimated to be worth about $11.1 billion.
Contents
Early Life and School
Robert Kraft was born in Brookline, Massachusetts. His mother was from Canada, and his father was a dress maker. His family was Modern Orthodox Jewish. His father hoped Robert would become a rabbi.
As a child, Robert sold newspapers outside a baseball stadium. In high school, he could not play many sports. This was because he had Hebrew studies after school and observed the Sabbath.
Kraft went to Columbia University on a scholarship. He was even class president. He played tennis and lightweight football there. In 1962, he met Myra Hiatt, and they married in 1963. He graduated from Columbia that year. Later, he earned a master's degree from Harvard Business School in 1965.
Business Career
Kraft started his career at Rand-Whitney Group. This was a packaging company owned by his father-in-law, Jacob Hiatt. In 1968, Kraft took control of the company. He is still its chairman today.
In 1972, he started International Forest Products. This company trades paper products around the world. Together, these two companies are among the largest privately owned paper and packaging businesses in the United States. Kraft believed that more international travel and communication would help global trade grow.
International Forest Products became a top US exporter and importer. Kraft later brought all his different business interests together under one company, called the Kraft Group, in 1998.
Sports Ownership
Boston Lobsters
In 1974, Kraft and some partners bought the Boston Lobsters. This was a professional tennis team. They spent a lot of money to get top players like Martina Navratilova. The Lobsters became one of the best teams in their league. However, the team folded after the 1978 season. The league itself also ended soon after.
New England Patriots
Robert Kraft has been a huge fan of the New England Patriots for a long time. He had season tickets since 1971. In 1985, he bought a horse track next to the Patriots' stadium. This move was the start of his plan to buy both the stadium and the team. The Patriots' owners at the time, the Sullivans, were having financial problems.
In 1988, Kraft bought the stadium for $22 million. The stadium was old, but the purchase included the Patriots' lease to play there until 2001. Kraft also tried to buy the team itself, but he lost the bid. The new owner tried to move the team to Jacksonville. But Kraft would not let them break the stadium lease.
In 1994, the team's owner offered Kraft $75 million to end the stadium lease. Kraft said no. The owner wanted to sell the team, but any buyer had to deal with Kraft because of the lease. Kraft then made a big offer of $172 million to buy the team outright. This was the highest price ever paid for an NFL team at that time.
Kraft said his love for the Patriots made him "break every one of my financial rules" to buy the team. He even thinks he "overpaid" for it. After Kraft bought the team, the Patriots sold out every game in 1994. Every home game since then has been sold out. In 2023, the Patriots were valued at $7 billion.
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In 1998, Kraft thought about moving the Patriots to Connecticut. But he decided to build a new stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, instead. In 2002, Kraft paid $350 million for the new stadium, which is now called Gillette Stadium. He also developed the land around the stadium. He created Patriot Place, a shopping and entertainment center. This area includes a museum about the Patriots.
On January 27, 2000, Kraft made a trade to hire Bill Belichick as head coach. This decision was criticized at the time. However, Belichick led the Patriots to win six Super Bowl championships. In 2000, the Patriots drafted quarterback Tom Brady. He became the team's star player from 2001 to 2019. The teamwork between Kraft, Belichick, and Brady created one of the most successful sports teams ever.
Under Kraft's ownership, the Patriots became very successful. Before he bought them, they had only made the playoffs six times in 34 years. But under Kraft, they have made the playoffs 21 times in 27 years. They have won 19 division titles. The Patriots have played in the Super Bowl ten times under Kraft, winning six of them. They have also won at least 12 games in a season 14 times.
In 2005, during a trip to Russia, Kraft showed his third Super Bowl ring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kraft later said that Putin kept the ring. Kraft explained that he did not plan to give it as a gift. He said his statement about it being a gift was made under pressure. The ring is now displayed in the Kremlin.
Former Patriot player Ryan O'Callaghan said that Kraft supported him when he shared that he was gay in 2017. Kraft told him, "What you did took a lot of courage. I'm so proud of you."
Soccer
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In 1996, Kraft started the New England Revolution. This was one of the first teams in Major League Soccer. They played at Foxboro Stadium, just like the Patriots. Kraft also owned another soccer team, the San Jose Clash, from 1998 to 2000.
In 2017, Kraft was named the Honorary Chairman for the joint bid by Canada, Mexico, and the United States to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Matches for this World Cup are scheduled to be held at Kraft's Gillette Stadium.
In 2019, Kraft hired Bruce Arena to lead the New England Revolution. In 2020, the team won a playoff game for the first time in six years.
Esports
In 2017, Kraft bought a team called the Boston Uprising. This team plays in the professional esports Overwatch League. Esports are video game competitions. The Boston Uprising finished third in the league's first season in 2018.
Helping Others (Philanthropy)
Robert Kraft has given a lot of money to help different causes.
In 2000, he gave $11.5 million to build a center at Columbia University. In 2007, he gave $5 million to Columbia's sports program. Because of this, the football field at Columbia was named Robert K. Kraft Field.
After the Boston Marathon bombing, Kraft said he would match donations up to $100,000 for the victims.
In 2017, Kraft gave $6 million to build the first full-size American football field in Israel. He traveled to Israel for the opening with several famous NFL players. He has led other trips to Israel with Patriots players and Hall of Famers.
In 2019, Kraft received the Genesis Prize. This award is given to people who show strong Jewish values. At the event, Kraft promised $20 million to start a foundation. This foundation will work to fight against antisemitism (hatred of Jewish people).
Kraft has also worked with famous artists like Jay-Z and Meek Mill. They started a group called REFORM Alliance. This group works to improve the criminal justice system. Kraft invited children whose parents were in jail to fly on the Patriots' team plane to a game.
In 2020, Kraft worked with a Chinese company to buy 1.2 million N95 masks. He donated these masks to medical workers in New York and Massachusetts during the coronavirus pandemic. The New England Patriots' private team plane was used to pick up the masks from China. The plane was also used to deliver 500,000 vaccines to El Salvador in 2021.
In 2020, Kraft put his Super Bowl LI ring up for auction. The money raised helped feed people who were struggling because of the pandemic.
In 2022, Harvard Business School announced a new fund called the Robert K. Kraft Family Fellowship Fund. Kraft committed $24 million to help students who might not be able to afford to attend the school.
Personal Life
In June 1963, Kraft married Myra Nathalie Hiatt. She was the daughter of businessman Jacob Hiatt. Myra passed away on July 20, 2011, at age 68. The Patriots' uniform jerseys had a patch with her initials (MHK) during the 2011 season to honor her. Robert and Myra had four sons: Jonathan, Daniel, Joshua, and David.
On March 5, 2022, it was announced that Kraft was engaged to Dana Blumberg. 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)
Images for kids
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Kraft and Bill Belichick with President George W. Bush (May 2004)
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Kraft and Bill Belichick with President Barack Obama (April 2015)
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Kraft and Bill Belichick with President Donald Trump (April 2017)
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Kraft in 2023 at an event promoting matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup
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