A strategic purchase of stadium land adjacent to a horse track in 1985 initiated the process that eventually secured ownership of the New England Patriots for Robert Kraft. By leveraging a lease agreement and navigating a series of bankruptcy proceedings, he prevented the relocation of the franchise, cementing his position within the National Football League.
Formative Years and Education
Born in Brookline, Massachusetts, in 1941, Robert Kraft grew up in a Modern Orthodox Jewish household. He attended the Edward Devotion School and later Brookline High School, where he balanced academics with after-school Hebrew studies. He advanced his education at Columbia University on an academic scholarship, serving as class president and participating in tennis and lightweight football. He completed his formal education with an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1965.
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Kraft launched his professional career at the Rand-Whitney Group, a packaging firm operated by his father-in-law, Jacob Hiatt. He assumed control of the company through a leveraged buyout in 1968. Seeking to capitalize on anticipated global trade growth, he founded International Forest Products in 1972. These entities eventually formed the core of the Kraft Group, a diversified holding company established in 1998 with interests spanning real estate, private equity, and entertainment.
Sports Franchise Acquisitions
Before acquiring the Patriots, Kraft was involved in professional tennis as part of a group that bought the Boston Lobsters of World TeamTennis in 1974. Following the franchise's dissolution, he turned his attention to American football. In 1994, he successfully acquired the New England Patriots for $172 million. He later founded the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer in 1996 and established the Boston Uprising esports team in 2017.
Fast facts
- Born: 1941, Brookline
- Education: Columbia University, Harvard Business School
- Primary Enterprise: The Kraft Group
- Patriots Purchase Year: 1994
- MLS Founding: 1996
- Awards include: Genesis Prize, Theodore Roosevelt Award
- Citizenship: United States
- Notable Membership: American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Questions readers ask
What is the Kraft Group?
It is a diversified holding company with assets in paper and packaging, real estate development, sports, and entertainment.
Did Robert Kraft own an esports team?
Yes, he founded the Boston Uprising in 2017, which competed in the Overwatch League until it disbanded in 2024.
Achievements
- Genesis Prize
- Holdings: New England Patriots, New England Revolution and Boston Lobsters
- Affiliated with The Kraft Group
- Educated at Harvard Business School and Harvard University
