Robert Kenneth Kraft is an American sports executive and 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, he has owned the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Kraft also owns the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer (MLS), which he founded in 1996, and the esport-based Boston Uprising, which he founded in 2017. He has an estimated net worth of $11.1 billion dollars according to Forbes.
Kraft in 2023
Kraft and Bill Belichick with Presidents Bush (May 2004), Obama (April 2015), and Trump (April 2017) at the Patriots' White House ceremonies
Kraft in 2012
Kraft speaks with his son Jonathan at a 2018 New England Revolution game
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The Patriots play home games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is 22 miles (35 km) southwest of Boston. The franchise is owned by Robert Kraft, who purchased the team in 1994. As of 2023, the Patriots are tied for the third most valuable sports team in the world and have sold out every home game since 1994.
Billy Sullivan, a Massachusetts native, brought professional football back to the state after a nearly eleven-year absence by founding the Patriots in 1959. His 27-year tenure of ownership did not come without controversy, however.
The Patriots were named after the colonists who rebelled against British control during the Revolutionary War, which was locally relevant due to the colony of Massachusetts playing a pivotal role in American independence. (Image: Minute Man statue in Concord, Massachusetts)
QB Tom Brady and HC Bill Belichick were the pillars of the Patriots dynasty throughout the 2000s and 2010s. During that period (2001–2019), they led the Patriots to nine Super Bowl appearances, winning six, as well as accumulating numerous franchise and league records. Brady is widely regarded as the greatest QB of all time, with Belichick widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches of all time. Together, they are universally known as one of the greatest QB-HC tandems of all time.
TE Rob Gronkowski, widely regarded as one of the greatest TEs of all time, was a staple of the 2010s offenses. Nicknamed "Gronk", he holds many franchise and league records, including an NFL-record most total and receiving touchdowns by a tight end in a single season (18 total, 17 receiving), as well as most receiving touchdowns (79) in Patriots history.