About Robert Kraft
Robert K. Kraft is an American businessman and the Chairman and CEO of The Kraft Group , which owns the New England Patriots, New England Revolution, and Gillette Stadium. He is also a member of several boards, including Viacom and Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, and a trustee for Boston College and Columbia University.
He graduated from Brookline High School, Columbia University, and Harvard Business School. He was part of Columbia’s lightweight football team and married Myra Kraft, a Brandeis graduate. Having admired the Giants before the launching of the Patriots franchise, he had all the makings of success.
Robert Kraft purchased various radio and television stations to further his investments in the entertainment industry. Robert Kraft is part of a private equity group that funded Scott Sanders Productions, a film, theatre, and television production company.
Robert Kraft was a long-time season ticket holder of the Patriots and, in 1985, obtained an option to buy the land next to the stadium. Nine years later, he bought the stadium for $25 million and used its lease agreement with the Patriots as leverage to purchase the team.
James Orthwein attempted to purchase the Patriots and move them to St. Louis. Still, Robert Kraft refused, instead paying an unprecedented $175 million to lease the stadium and keep the team in Foxboro. The fans responded with purchases of almost 6,000 season tickets, resulting in sold-out games ever since. This resurgence was followed by the founding of the New England Revolution soccer club alongside the Patriots beginning in 1996.
Robert Kraft purchased the Patriots in 1994; since then, the team has won four Super Bowls and made twelve playoff appearances. In 2007, Patriot Place was opened with great success, and in 2005 Kraft gave one of his Super Bowl rings to Vladimir Putin out of respect for the Russian people. He also explored investing in Liverpool Football Club, but George Gillett and Tom Hicks bought the club. Refer to this article, for more information.
More about Kraft on https://www.forbes.com/profile/robert-kraft/