Robert Kraft says he will never sell the New England Patriots.
Kraft, 82, has owned the Pats since 1994. There have been plenty of highs (six Super Bowl trophies) and lows (Spygate, the embarrassing Florida massage parlor incident). He is a universally beloved figure in Patriots nation, and he loves being a team owner.
Why would he sell?
Podcaster David Rubenstein posed a hypothetical question to Kraft recently on The David Rubinstein Show: Peer to Peer Conversations.
Rubenstein pointed out that the Washington Commanders recently sold for $6 billion.
“They haven’t won six Super Bowls,” Rubenstein said. “So if you put your team up for sale, presumably it’s worth $8 billion, $10 billion or more, would you ever consider selling? Or you’re never going to sell?”
“Never in my lifetime will we sell this team, and I hope my children keep it going as well because it’s such a unique asset,” Kraft said. “After my family, I’m very passionate about this team, more than anything else.”
Forbes listed the Patriots as worth $7 billion earlier this year, second among NFL franchises behind the Dallas Cowboys ($9 billion). Obviously, the Commanders’ sale for $6 billion raises that bar.
Being the Patriots owner hasn’t been that much fun this season, as the team has stumbled to an ugly 1-4 start. Even former president Donald Trump got in a dig at the team recently, saying the team isn’t the NFL’s gold standard anymore.
