Robert Kraft is a famous self-made billionaire, the owner of New England Patriots, and a philanthropist. He has also been called one of the most influential people in sports by Time Magazine.
Born to Russian Jewish immigrants in Brookline, Massachusetts on January 6th 1932, Kraft attended Columbia University where he received his BA degree in business administration and Economics. Shortly after graduating from Columbia, Robert Kraft was drafted into the U.S Army where he served as First Lieutenant during the Korean War until his honorable discharge in 1954. In 1963 he took over management of an industrial plant that imported nuts from South America to sell them as snacks throughout Boston and surrounding areas in Massachusetts. Purchasing the plant for $500,000, Kraft took over the business with a new vision of distributing the snacks internationally. He found success in exporting nuts as far away as China, and by 1969 he sold his company to Nabisco for $40 million.
In 1994 he purchased Foxboro Hotels Group which owned 4,600 hotel rooms in the Boston area. Later that year he became principal owner of the New England Patriots football team when they were valued at $172 million. The following year he purchased 50% share of the New England Revolution soccer team. His company, The Kraft Group, also owns several companies in the printing, publishing, and insurance industries. In 2013 Robert Kraft purchased the New England Revolution from Robert Kraft Group for $75 million.
His business ventures, Robert is also well known for his philanthropic endeavors. He is a strong supporter of Boston Children’s Hospital and has supported Children’s Hospital through a variety of projects including a donation of $20 million towards an expansion project. In 2008 he donated $25 million to Boston University to further the school’s Graduate School of Management program. As a philanthropist, he has also shown support for research into Alzheimer’s Disease by establishing the Kraft Family Foundation in 2010. Refer to this page for additional information.
Visit him on https://www.thekraftgroup.com/robert-kraft/