Robert Kraft

Robert Kraft is the founder and chairman of The Kraft Group and the owner of the New England Patriots, the NFL franchise he purchased for $172 million in 1994 and has built into one of the most storied and valuable sports franchises in American history, with an estimated value exceeding $7 billion. Born June 5, 1941, in Brookline, Massachusetts, to a Jewish family, Kraft graduated from Columbia University in 1963 and earned his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1965. He built his business career in packaging and media before acquiring the Patriots and turning what had been a struggling franchise into a dynasty — six Super Bowl championships over two decades with Coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady.

Kraft has been a vocal and active defender of Israel and opponent of antisemitism, particularly in the context of sport and public life. He received the Friends of Zion Heritage Center Award from Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in 2018 — the same honor presented to Donald Trump and Greg Abbott — recognizing his contributions to the U.S.-Israel relationship. He has spoken publicly at Jewish community events, participated in anti-antisemitism campaigns, and used his platform as one of the most prominent sports owners in America to raise visibility on these issues. Following October 7, 2023, Kraft was among the prominent American Jewish business leaders who spoke out in support of Israel's right to self-defense and condemned Hamas's actions unambiguously.

His New England Patriots stadium, Gillette Stadium, hosted a "Rally Against Antisemitism" in 2023 that drew tens of thousands of people from across New England — an event that reflected both his commitment and his organizational capacity to turn commitment into large-scale public action. At Rank 61, Kraft represents the American Jewish sports mogul whose platform combines business prestige, community standing, and genuine philanthropic engagement into a distinctively visible form of pro-Israel advocacy.