New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has a net worth of $11.1 billion and has been generous about supporting various causes he cares about during his tenure as one of the 32 NFL owners.
The Krafts have donated hundreds of millions of dollars to philanthropic work including education, child- and women-related issues, healthcare, youth sports and American and Israeli causes. Among the many institutions the Krafts have supported are Columbia University, Harvard Business School, Brandeis University, The College of the Holy Cross, Boston College, Tufts University, Yeshiva University, the Belmont Hill School, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston.
Kraft attended Columbia University on an academic scholarship and he served as class president. He played tennis and safety on the school’s freshman and lightweight football teams.
The New England Patriots owner has been a major donor for Columbia University in recent history.
In 2000, Kraft donated $11.5 million to construct the Columbia/Hillel which is made of the same white stone used in Jerusalem. In 2007, after a $5 million payment to Columbia’s intercollegiate athletics program, the playing field at Columbia’s Lawrence A. Wien Stadium at the Baker Field Athletics Complex was named Robert K. Kraft Field.
On October 30, 2022, the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, which was founded by Kraft, sponsored an ad encouraging people to denounce hate against Jewish people. The ad aired during NFL games and was titled ”Stand Up to Jewish Hate”. This action came in response to antisemitic comments made by Kanye West and later Kyrie Irving.
He invested $25 million in the “Stand Up to Jewish Hate” campaign which launched through the foundation in March 2023 to raise awareness concerning antisemitism found online. The foundation’s executive director indicated that ads would air during the NFL draft, NBA and NHL playoffs as well as by social media influencers.
New England Patriots Owner Refuses To Continue Donating To Columbia University Amidst Antisemitic Violence
On Monday, Kraft issued a statement in the wake of widespread reports of antisemitic violence on the Columbia campus.
“It was through the full academic scholarship Columbia gave me that I was able to attend college and get my start in life and for that I have been tremendously grateful,” Kraft’s statement read. “However, the school I love so much – the one that welcomed me and provided me with so much opportunity – is no longer an institution I recognize.”
The New England Patriots owner then stated he’s no longer comfortable supporting the university until action is taken to make Jewish students feel safe an comfortable.
“I am deeply saddened at the virulent hate that continues to grow on campus and throughout our country. I am no longer confident that Columbia can protect its students and staff and I am not comfortable supporting the university until corrective action is taken.
It is my hope that Columbia and its leadership will stand up to this hate by ending these protests immediately and will work to earn back the respect and trust of many of us who have lost faith in the institution. It is my hope that in this difficult time, the Kraft Center at Columbia will serve as a source of security and safety for all Jewish students and faculty on campus who want to gather peacefully to practice their religions, to be together and to be welcomed.”
Students at Columbia University were told in an overnight statement that all classes will be held virtually on Monday as anti-Israel protesters have taken over the campus, its president announced.
Columbia University President Dr. Nemat “Minouche” Shafik said in a statement, posted in the early hours Monday morning, that she was “deeply saddened” by certain actions of agitators, who have formed an “encampment” on the campus and have riled students and faculty with anti-Jewish slogans and chants.
It is clear the New England Patriots owner takes this issue personally and seriously and he’s taking a stand until there is a resolution.