Jonathan Kraft

Jonathan Kraft
Kraft in 2023
Jonathan Kraft
Born	Jonathan Ashford Kraft 3/4/1964
Birthplace	Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Businessman
Known for	President of The Kraft Group President of the New England Patriots
Education	Harvard University (MBA)
Alma mater	Williams College (BA) Harvard University (MBA)
Spouse(s)	Patricia Lipoma
Children	3
Awards	Sports Business Journal Forty Under 40 (2002)
Website	thekraftgroup.com

Jonathan Ashford Kraft (born March 4, 1964) is an American businessman who serves as president of The Kraft Group, the holding company that oversees the Kraft family's diversified business interests, and as president of the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). The eldest son of Patriots owner Robert Kraft and the late Myra Hiatt Kraft, Jonathan Kraft has been a central figure in the operation and growth of one of the NFL's most prominent franchises since his family acquired the team in 1994. Beyond professional football, he is also an investor-operator of the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer. Over the course of more than three decades in business, Kraft has played a significant role in the strategic direction of the Kraft family's portfolio, which spans professional sports, real estate development, paper and packaging, and private equity. His leadership has extended into philanthropy and civic engagement, including service on the boards of major educational and healthcare institutions in the Boston area.

Early Life

Jonathan Ashford Kraft was born on March 4, 1964, in Brookline, Massachusetts, to Robert Kraft and Myra Hiatt Kraft. He is the eldest of Robert Kraft's four sons; his brothers are Daniel Kraft, Josh Kraft, and David Kraft. The Kraft family is Jewish, and Jonathan grew up in the Greater Boston area within a family that was deeply involved in both business and community affairs. His maternal grandfather was Jacob Hiatt, a prominent businessman and philanthropist in the Worcester, Massachusetts area.

Robert Kraft built a business career in paper and packaging before expanding into sports ownership, and the family's commercial enterprises became a defining backdrop to Jonathan's upbringing. The elder Kraft's acquisition of the New England Patriots in 1994 would come to shape much of Jonathan's professional life. Growing up in Brookline, Jonathan was exposed early to both the business world and to the culture of New England sports fandom, an environment that would inform his later career trajectory.

Education

Jonathan Kraft attended Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He later maintained a connection with the college, serving on its Board of Trustees before becoming a trustee emeritus.

Following his undergraduate studies, Kraft pursued a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard Business School at Harvard University. His graduate education provided him with a foundation in management and corporate strategy that he would apply across the Kraft family's growing portfolio of business interests. Prior to joining the family business full-time, Kraft gained experience in the private equity and investment sectors, including involvement with Highpoint Capital, a private equity firm.

Career

The Kraft Group

Jonathan Kraft serves as president of The Kraft Group, the umbrella holding company for the Kraft family's business interests. The Kraft Group's operations span multiple sectors, including paper and packaging, real estate development, professional sports, and private equity. In this role, Kraft oversees the strategic direction and day-to-day management of the conglomerate's various divisions. The group's paper and packaging division has its roots in the business originally built by Robert Kraft, which served as the financial foundation for the family's later expansion into sports ownership and other ventures.

Under Jonathan Kraft's leadership as president, The Kraft Group has continued to diversify its portfolio. The company's real estate development interests have included projects in the Greater Boston area and beyond, while its private equity investments have extended the family's financial reach into additional industries. Kraft's dual role as president of both The Kraft Group and the New England Patriots has positioned him as a key decision-maker across the entirety of the family's business empire.

New England Patriots

Jonathan Kraft has served as president of the New England Patriots since the Kraft family's acquisition of the franchise in 1994. Robert Kraft purchased the Patriots for $172 million, which was at the time a record price for an NFL franchise. Jonathan played a role in the business operations of the team from the outset of the family's ownership.

As president, Jonathan Kraft has been responsible for the business side of the Patriots organization, including stadium operations, corporate partnerships, and strategic planning. The Patriots under Kraft family ownership became one of the most successful franchises in NFL history, winning multiple Super Bowl championships during the dynasty era with head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. While Robert Kraft has typically served as the public face of ownership, Jonathan has been described as a hands-on executive who is deeply involved in the operational and business decisions that affect the franchise.

Hartford Stadium Controversy

In the late 1990s, Jonathan Kraft was involved in negotiations surrounding a potential move of the Patriots from Massachusetts to Hartford, Connecticut. In 1998, the Kraft family entered into discussions with Connecticut officials about relocating the team to a new stadium in Hartford. The proposed move was a significant point of contention in New England. Ultimately, the Krafts decided to keep the team in Massachusetts, a decision that put economics ahead of other considerations. Jonathan Kraft was involved in the deliberations that led to this outcome. The team subsequently built Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, which opened in 2002 and was financed primarily with private funds.

Relationship with Bill Belichick

Jonathan Kraft's role as team president placed him in a close working relationship with head coach Bill Belichick during the latter's tenure with the Patriots from 2000 to 2023. The partnership between the Kraft family and Belichick produced six Super Bowl titles and established a historic dynasty. However, following Belichick's departure from the organization after the 2023 season, tensions between the two sides became publicly apparent.

In August 2025, as Belichick prepared for his new role as head coach of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, he made remarks that were widely interpreted as directed at Robert and Jonathan Kraft. Belichick's comments were characterized by multiple media outlets as a "shade" or "jab" at the Patriots' ownership. One report described Belichick's comments as reflecting "the height of entitlements," a phrase attributed to the former coach in reference to the owners.

Diversity and NFL Hiring

In early 2026, Jonathan Kraft participated in public discussions regarding diversity in NFL coaching hiring. During an appearance in San Francisco, Kraft engaged in what was described as a "candid conversation" about the league's record on hiring Black head coaches. The discussion addressed the NFL's ongoing challenges with diversity at the head coaching level, a subject that has drawn scrutiny from media, advocates, and league officials for many years.

COVID-19 Pandemic Response

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the New England Patriots organization, under the Krafts' leadership, played a notable role in efforts to procure personal protective equipment (PPE). In April 2020, the Patriots' team plane was used to transport approximately one million N95 masks from China to the United States at a time when medical supplies were critically scarce. The operation drew significant media attention. The team also organized flights for healthcare workers, including a send-off event for 76 healthcare workers who flew on the team plane to assist with pandemic response efforts.

New England Revolution

In addition to his role with the Patriots, Jonathan Kraft serves as an investor-operator of the New England Revolution, the Kraft family's Major League Soccer franchise. The Revolution, which the Kraft family has owned since the club's founding as one of the original MLS teams in 1996, plays its home matches at Gillette Stadium. Jonathan Kraft's involvement with the Revolution reflects the family's broader engagement with professional sports beyond football.

Personal Life

Jonathan Kraft is married to Patricia (Patti) Lipoma. The couple has three children. The family resides in the Greater Boston area. Kraft and his wife have been active in philanthropic endeavors, particularly in the fields of education and healthcare.

In November 2025, Boston College announced that the Messina College dean's position would be named the Patti and Jonathan Kraft Family Deanship, funded by a gift from the Kraft family. Patricia Kraft serves as a University Trustee at Boston College. The endowed deanship was intended to support Messina College, a two-year associate degree program within Boston College designed to serve students from underrepresented backgrounds. Rev. Erick Berrelleza, S.J., was subsequently named the inaugural Patti and Jonathan Kraft Family Dean of Messina College.

Kraft has also served in leadership roles at healthcare institutions. He was appointed as chairman of the Board of Trustees at Massachusetts General Hospital, one of the leading academic medical centers in the United States.

His mother, Myra Hiatt Kraft, was a noted philanthropist who died in 2011. Robert Kraft later remarried; Jonathan and his brothers have remained central figures in the family's business operations.

Recognition

In 2002, Jonathan Kraft was named to the Sports Business Journal Forty Under 40 list, which recognized young leaders in the sports business industry. The recognition came during a period when the Patriots were establishing themselves as a dominant force in the NFL, having won their first Super Bowl in the 2001 season.

His appointment as chairman of the Board of Trustees at Massachusetts General Hospital reflected his standing in the Boston business and civic community. His service as a trustee at Williams College, his alma mater, further demonstrated his engagement with educational institutions.

The Patti and Jonathan Kraft Family Deanship at Boston College's Messina College, established in 2025, represented a significant philanthropic contribution to higher education and was recognized by the university as an important investment in expanding access to education for underserved populations.

In May 2025, the Boston Real Estate Times profiled Kraft as "the strategic force behind the Kraft Empire," noting his increasing public profile and influence in both business and civic spheres.

Legacy

Jonathan Kraft's career has been defined by his role in building and managing one of the most valuable sports franchises in the world. Under Kraft family ownership, with Jonathan serving as president, the New England Patriots grew from a franchise purchased for $172 million in 1994 to one valued in the billions of dollars, according to annual valuations published by Forbes. The team's on-field success during this period — including multiple Super Bowl championships — was accompanied by substantial growth in the franchise's business operations, including the privately financed construction of Gillette Stadium and the development of the surrounding Patriot Place retail and entertainment complex.

Kraft's involvement in league-wide discussions, such as his 2026 engagement on the topic of diversity in NFL head coaching hires, has positioned him as a figure willing to address contentious issues within the sport. His philanthropic activities, particularly in education and healthcare, have extended his influence beyond the sports industry and into broader civic life in Massachusetts.

As the eldest son of Robert Kraft, Jonathan is widely seen as a key figure in the future leadership of the Kraft family's business interests, including the potential succession of Patriots ownership. His role bridges the operational management of a professional sports franchise with the oversight of a diversified business conglomerate, making him one of the more prominent figures in American sports business.