The New England Patriots are one of the most successful NFL franchises, and are now aiming to win their seventh Super Bowl. The team will be playing against the Seattle Seahawks on February 8.
Mike Vrabel has taken a 4-13 team to the Super Bowl in the space of just one season in his very first year as Patriots head coach. While a lot of credit goes to Vrabel and his AFC Championship-winning team, it is also important to know about the owner who enabled the success in the first place.
Who owns the New England Patriots?
Since its inception in 1959, the New England Patriots have had as many as four owners. However, besides Robert Kraft, the current owner, none of them delivered any league championship success.
The franchise is owned by Kraft Group. Robert is its founder and CEO, and as a result, he is also the CEO of the NFL team.
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A longtime Patriots fan, Kraft had been a season ticket holder since 1971. He bought the team from James Orthwein for an estimated $172 million back in January 1994, The U.S. Sun reported.
Kraft, an entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist, has a portfolio of businesses and brands across various verticals, including paper and packaging, sports and entertainment, real estate and venture investing. According tothe Patriots’ website, hisholdings include the New England Patriots, New England Revolution, Gillette Stadium, International Forest Products, Rand-Whitney Group, Rand-Whitney Containerboard, as well as a portfolio of more than 100 venture and private-equity investments.
The Patriots’ website says, “A lifelong football fan and 23-year New England Patriots season ticket holder before buying the team, Kraft became the chairman and CEO of the Patriots when he took ownership on Jan. 21, 1994. That day he pledged, “My objective in buying the Patriots is to help bring a championship to New England.” That seemed to be a tall order considering the team’s prior success rate. Now, 31 years later, the Patriots boast six Lombardi Trophies, 10 Super Bowl appearances and the highest winning percentage in all of professional sports.”
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The Patriots have reached the Super Bowl 11 times, which is the most in NFL history. Only one of its Super Bowl appearances came outside of the Kraft ownership era.
This year, the Super Bowl is scheduled to start at 6:30 pm ET on Sunday, February 8. It will be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
