Robert Kraft is one of the world’s most successful and recognizable figures. His success has been primarily earned through his ownership of The New England Patriots NFL football team and a variety of other successful companies. A recent article in Forbes states that Kraft has a net worth of over $7 billion. Throughout his long career, he has been committed to giving back to the community. Through the Kraft Family Foundations efforts, millions of dollars have been donated to various charities. In total Kraft has given more than $10 million away over the last decade making him one of philanthropy’s top donors.
Robert Kraft was born on June 5, 1941, in Brookline, Massachusetts. His parents were Russian immigrants, and both worked in the garment industry. After graduating high school, Kraft went on to attend Columbia University as a political science major. Kraft graduated from Columbia University with his bachelor’s degree in 1963. Immediately following graduation, he was drafted into the Army and went on to serve two years active duty as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserves Medical Corps in Washington D.C.
After Robert Kraft’s military service, he went on to get his MBA from Harvard. While at Harvard he became involved in the Harvard Business School Club of Boston where he met his future wife. The couple married in 1968 and have five children, including Michael Kraft a New England Patriots football team executive.
After graduating from Columbia University and serving in the military, Kraft joined the family business which was their successful clothing company. Over time, this business grew to become one of America’s largest manufacturers for men’s sportswear apparel. In the early 80’s, Robert Kraft and his wife Myra (who had previously worked in the family business) took over full ownership of the company from their parents. The company went on to become a publicly traded company with Kraft acting as Chairman of its Board of Directors. In 1994, one year after taking over control of the company, Robert Kraft orchestrated one of his most profitable deals ever by purchasing the New England patriots.
The New England Patriots franchise has achieved success on and off the field under Kraft’s leadership, including becoming the world champion in Super Bowl XXXVI. The Patriot franchise has also become one of the most valuable franchises in professional sports with an estimated value of $1.37 billion. See this article to learn more.
More about Kraft on https://www.crunchbase.com/person/robert-kraft