Robert Kraft Net Worth

Robert Kraft has an estimated net worth of $15.2 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Robert Kraft profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $6.5 billion in 2019.

Robert Kraft is an American businessman and the chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group. The company includes paper and packaging, sports and entertainment, real estate development, and private equity. He became widely known in sports after buying the New England Patriots in 1994 for $172 million. He also owns the New England Revolution, which he founded in 1996, and he started Boston Uprising in 2017 as part of the Overwatch esports league.

Much of Kraft's wealth began in paper and packaging. He started his career with Rand-Whitney Group and gained control of the company in 1968 through a leveraged buyout. In 1972, he founded International Forest Products, a trader of physical paper commodities. He later brought different holdings together under the Kraft Group in 1998. Before buying the Patriots, he also owned the Boston Lobsters, showing an early interest in sports ownership alongside his manufacturing businesses.

How Robert Kraft built his fortune

Kraft made his early fortune in paper and packaging. He built Rand-Whitney Group and International Forest Products into major businesses, then expanded into other areas through the Kraft Group. That umbrella company now spans manufacturing, sports and entertainment, real estate development, and private equity. His wealth came from operating companies first, long before he became one of the most recognizable owners in American sports through the Patriots and his other team holdings.

His biggest public asset is the New England Patriots. Kraft bought the team in 1994 for $172 million after first buying the stadium in 1988 for $22 million. Forbes says the team is now worth over $10 billion. His sports portfolio also includes the New England Revolution, founded in 1996, and Boston Uprising, launched in 2017. Together, those assets tie his name to both traditional sports and newer entertainment businesses.

Forbes net worth and the key driver

Forbes has shown a steady rise in Kraft's fortune across its annual rankings and real-time tracker. Forbes estimated his net worth at $6.5 billion in 2019, then $13.8 billion in 2026 on the World's Billionaires List. As of October 20, 2026, Forbes' real-time billionaires tracker puts him at $15.2 billion. The long climb reflects the value of his manufacturing businesses and the major growth of the Patriots over many years.

A major reason for that increase is the scale of the Patriots asset inside a broader business portfolio. Kraft bought the franchise for $172 million in 1994, and Forbes now says it is worth over $10 billion. That change sits alongside his paper and packaging base, which gave him his first large fortune. He also expanded his sports reach with the Revolution in 1996 and an esports team in 2017, adding more business lines beyond manufacturing.