Billionaire Robert Kraft's Influence Extends to Sports and Israel Advocacy

Robert Kraft, a billionaire businessman and owner of major sports franchises, wields significant political influence in the United States, particularly in his advocacy for Israel. Forbes estimates his personal wealth at $15.2 billion. A prominent example of his influence was his role in canceling rapper Macklemore's opening act performances for Ed Sheeran's tour, not only at stadiums he owns but across all U.S. stadiums.

Kraft, 85, has a deep connection to Israel, investing approximately $20 million in developing facilities and promoting American football in the country. This includes the Kraft Campus in Jerusalem, inaugurated in 2017, which features Israel's first full-sized football field. His Kraft Group also supports MassChallenge Israel, a startup accelerator, with over $1.2 million in donations since 2014, fostering economic ties between Israel and Massachusetts.

Born in Brooklyn, Massachusetts, to a religious Jewish family, Kraft initially pursued business after graduating from Columbia University and Harvard Business School. He built his fortune through International Forest Products, which became one of the largest private paper trading companies in the U.S. His passion for sports led him to acquire the New England Patriots, a team he had been a devoted fan of since 1971. He strategically purchased the land and parking lots around the old Patriots stadium in 1985, eventually buying the stadium itself in 1988. In 1994, he bought the Patriots for a then-record $172 million, and the team is now valued at $10.6 billion.

Beyond the Patriots, Kraft Group also owns the New England Revolution, an MLS soccer team founded by Kraft in 1995, valued at around $540 million. He owns Gillette Stadium, which hosted matches in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and the surrounding Patriot Place commercial complex. Kraft's business empire also includes significant real estate holdings and a private investment portfolio exceeding $1 billion.

Kraft's personal life includes his first marriage to Myra Hiatt, with whom he had four sons, and her passing in 2011. He was infamously arrested in 2019 on charges of soliciting prostitution, but the charges were later dropped due to illegal installation of hidden cameras by police. He remarried in 2022 to Dr. Dana Blumberg.