The path to the NFL takes many forms. For Robert Kraft, the path to franchise owner is impressive. The paper magnate is one of the wealthiest business leaders in the U.S. and has fingers in many industrial pies. Kraft was born in Brookline and grew up a New York Giants fan before the Patriots franchise was born. After completing his studies at Harvard Business School, Robert Kraft made his first fortune manufacturing and distributing paper products. The owner of the New England Patriots owns several local TV and radio stations in the Northeast.
The love of the New England Patriots began for Robert Kraft in 1960. The franchise was founded by the Sullivan family as the Boston Patriots. Having been born in Massachusetts, Kraft switched his allegiance from the Giants to the newly formed franchise. By 1971, Robert Kraft had purchased his first season ticket and attended all home games.
Robert Kraft watched as the Patriots lurched from one disastrous season to another. Kraft became increasingly disillusioned by the failures of a franchise appearing in one Super Bowl in the 20th-century. Kraft leaped at an opportunity to buy a parcel of land beside Foxboro Stadium and begin the path to owning the franchise. Kraft continued to buy land around the stadium until he took control of Foxboro in 1988.
The sale of the franchise to James Orthwein in 1992 opened the door for the Harvard graduate to put his negotiating skills to the test. Orthwein was determined to take a franchise to St. Louis after the departure of the Cardinals. Kraft stood in his way as the landlord of Foxboro Stadium. An attempt to buy the Patriots out of its lease was rebuffed with a counteroffer tabled. Robert Kraft leveraged the sale of the Patriots franchise and kept the team in New England to start the dominant period in franchise history. Refer to this article to learn more.
More about Kraft on https://www.forbes.com/profile/robert-kraft/