The name ‘Robert Kraft’ is commonly associated with winning, spending, and sports exceptionalism. One of the most revered front office professionals in NFL league history. Kraft has helped build the New England Patriots into a well-oiled machine synonymous with Super Bowl victories. A team so successful that they’ve become as hated as revered. Robert Kraft’s role in developing the mid-’90s Patriots cannot be overstated. Yet leaving the discussion to simply revolve around his football. Work would be to do Kraft a great disservice, as well.
From working at a football stadium to buying one of his own. Robert Kraft’s rise has been as fascinating as it has been electric to watch.
Path to Patriot Stardom
Before Robert Kraft was a household name throughout North America, he was just another kid plying his trade with hopes of making it big in the future. Originally selling newspapers in front of the old Braves Field in Boston, Kraft is today worth more than $8.3 billion. How did a newspaper salesboy end up as the face of the NFL’s best and most effective front office leaders?
For Kraft, the journey began in the educational sphere, where he would attend public school. After graduating from high school, Kraft would earn an academic scholarship that saw him eventually graduate from Harvard Business School in 1965. Upon leaving school behind, Kraft earned a job at the Rand-Whitney Group where he would acquire his father-in-law’s paper and packaging company through a carefully orchestrated and leveraged buyout, providing Kraft with a controlling stake. Four years later, Kraft founded International Forest Products to begin trading commodities.
Back in the football world, Kraft would set his sights on acquiring a section of land surrounding the old Foxboro Stadium. Kraft would agree to pay $27 million over ten years before eventually buying the stadium in bankruptcy court. In 1994, Kraft would secure the New England Patriots with a $172 million purchase.
In the intervening years since his acquisition of the New England Patriots.Robert Kraft has helped guide Boston to legendary status as one of the winningest franchises in league history. Six Super Bowl Rings and numerous league honors only touch upon a fraction of the impact. That Kraft’s work has made on the Boston community.
A Football Philanthropist
Considered one of the most successful team owners in sports history, Kraft would seek to do more with his position. Than simply to build the Patriots. Instead, Kraft would dip his toes in professional soccer, helping to lobby. The MLS to consider Foxborough for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Kraft’s work in 2017 would help to secure a North American appearance for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In more personal efforts, Kraft has also decided to use his wealth and status for the good of his local community. Kraft has given to a number of New England nonprofits over the past decade through the Kraft Family Foundation, donating in excess of $10 million. Kraft has also helped to fund the REFORM Alliance, a foundation that is focused on exploring and reforming criminal justice reform by approaching policies, laws, and the individuals impacted by them.
Perhaps more than anything, the Kraft Family is focused on providing and making access to educational healthcare more possible for the underserved individuals of the region. Kraft would donate north of $25 million to Mass General Brigham to help bolster these efforts. Kraft and his family have also helped during the COVID-19 crisis by helping to establish COVID-19 testing and vaccination enters. In 2021, Kraft would offer Gillette Stadium as the first-ever mass vaccination site in the northeast, providing more than 610,000 vaccinations in under six months.
Learn more about Robert Kraft: https://bleacherreport.com/robert-kraft