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For fans of the New England Patriots, Robert Kraft’s net worth is the least of what he’s accomplished.
Keep in mind it was Robert Kraft and Tom Brady at the center of one of the great NFL dynasties of all time. Obviously, he’s one of the richest NFL owners, but Robert Kraft’s net worth isn’t among the biggest concerns of the Patriots and their fans.
Who is Robert Kraft?
That being said, there is so much more to Kraft than his money or his connection to the Patriots.
Obviously, that’s what people tend to think about the most. But let’s take a closer look at Kraft and see what else we can learn about him.
What is Robert Kraft’s net worth?
Robert Kraft’s net worth is an estimated $10.6 billion. He’s built up his wealth primarily as the chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group, which has a diverse portfolio of business interests that expand beyond the Patriots.
How old is Robert Kraft?
As of the start of 2023, Robert Kraft’s age is 81. He was born in June 1941 but is still able to take an active role in the Patriots and his other business interests even though he’s now in his 80s.
Is Robert Kraft a child of New England?
Yes, Kraft is a born and bred New Englander who has spent most of his life in that part of the country. He was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, which is just West of Boston.
Growing up, Kraft would sell newspapers to people outside of Boston Braves games. Kraft ultimately graduated from Brookline High School before attending Columbia University. He then returned to the Boston area to get his MBA from Harvard before beginning his professional career with a company located in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Was Robert Kraft an athlete?
While Kraft was an avid sports fan growing up, he had little time growing up to play sports. At the insistence of his father, Kraft attended Hebrew studies after school, leaving minimal opportunity for sports.
However, when he got to Columbia, Kraft played tennis and was also a member of the school’s lightweight football team, playing both safety and running back.
How did Robert Kraft meet his wife?
Kraft met his wife Myra Hiatt at a delicatessen in Boston in 1962. At the time, Kraft was still a student at Columbia while Hiatt was a student at Brandeis University, which is located in the Boston suburbs. A little over a year after meeting, the two got married.
Kraft and Hiatt remained married until Hiatt passed away of ovarian cancer in 2011. The couple raised four sons together with the oldest Jonathan ultimately becoming the president of the Kraft Group. After his wife passed away, Kraft was in a relationship from 2012 to 2018 with actress Ricki Noel Lander. He then got married for a second time to Dana Blumberg in October 2022.
Did Robert Kraft almost have a completely different career?
In addition to insisting that he participate in Hebrew studies after school, Kraft’s father also wished for Kraft to grow up to be a rabbi. Unfortunately for his father, that dream never materialized. Kraft was also close to having a career in politics rather than business.
At age 27, he was elected the chairman of the Newton (Massachusetts) Democratic City Committee. After that, he seriously considered a run for Congress against longtime incumbent Philip Philbin, who represented Massachusetts’s 3rd district from 1943 to 1971. However, Kraft’s desire to maintain his privacy coupled with the suicide of his friend Jim Shea, a state representative, pushed him away from a career in politics.
How did Robert Kraft buy the Patriots?
There is a long saga of how Kraft came to own the Patriots. His desire to own the team likely dates back to 1971 when Kraft first became a season ticket holder. But the true quest began in 1985 when Kraft started to purchase the land around Schaefer Stadium, which later became Foxboro Stadium.
In 1988, he bought the stadium and made it clear that he wouldn’t let the Patriots out of their lease, meaning Victor Kiam, who outbid Kraft for the franchise, couldn’t move the team to Jacksonville like he wanted.
In 1992, Kiam sold the Patriots to James Orthwein, who also wanted to buy out the team’s stadium lease from Kraft, who turned down an offer of $75 million. Since Kraft owned Foxboro Stadium, any new owner would have to deal with him, putting Kraft in pole position when Orthwein decided to sell the team.
Finally, Kraft was able to buy the Patriots in 1994 for $175 million, although he has admitted that he paid too much and had to “break every one of my financial rules” to acquire the team he loved. Of course, six Super Bowl wins later, Kraft must surely think it was worth it.
What other sports franchise does Robert Kraft own?
Not everyone knows that the Patriots weren’t the first or the last sports franchise that Kraft purchased. In 1974, he was part of a team of investors who purchased the Boston Lobsters, a tennis team in the World TeamTennis league. Behind players like Martina Navratilova, the Lobsters became one of the best teams in the league.
However, the league folded for the first time in 1978, soon after the Lobsters met the same fate.
Kraft is also the owner of the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer. Kraft was actually the founder of the Revolution and remains the club’s owner, which is why the Revs share a stadium with the Patriots.
Also, between 1998 and 2000, Kraft owned another MLS franchise, the San Jose Clash (now called Earthquakes). At times, Kraft has also been mentioned as a potential bidder for the Red Sox, Celtics, and Liverpool Football Club but to date, he only owns the Patriots and Revolution.
