Robert Kraft (84 years old) is the current owner of the New England Patriots and under his direction in the offices the Massachusetts franchise has earned its six championships. This Sunday Kraft’s ‘Pats’ aspire to their seventh victory in a Super Bowl, although they are living a new era with Mike Vrabel as head coach and the very young Drake Maye playing Brady.
Kraft is the owner of the Kraft Group conglomerate – it has nothing to do with the Kraft Foods company – which he founded in 1998 and in which he unified all of his businesses. That same year bought Foxboro Stadium, which was not owned by the Patriotsand this would be the key to take over the franchise in 1994. Belichick and Brady arrived and a new stadium was built. The successes did not take long to come and this brings us to the curious story of the championship ring that Putin intercepted in 2005.
Kraft attended along with the then president of Citigroup, Sandy Weillthe media mogul, Rupert Murdochand other businessmen, at a meeting with Putin in 2005 in an attempt to “stimulate trade between the United States and Russia.”
During a press conference at the Konstantinovsky Palace near St. Petersburg, Weil allegedly suggested Kraft show Putin his Super Bowl XXXIX ring.the third that the Patriots won in four years. The owner of the ‘Pats’ gave it to the Russian leader, who admired the 4.94-carat ring and supposedly said: “I could kill someone with this ring”while placing it on his finger. Kraft responded: “You could kill someone without it. You were the head of the KGB”as he extended his hand for the jewel to return. However, According to witnesses, Putin put the ring in his pocket. This narrative that the Russian president ‘stole’ Kraft’s ring is what circulated in the newspapers at the time.
I extended my hand and he put the ring in his pocket. At the same time three KGB guys surrounded him and left
Robert Kraft (Patriots owner)
The story took many turns and angered the American president George W. Bushwho took it as a humiliation. I didn’t understand how such a crime was perpetrated in front of several American ‘bigwigs’ and nothing could be done. At the request of the White House, Kraft buried the story until 2013.During a gala, he let it all out: “I extended my hand and he put the ring in his pocket. At the same time three KGB guys surrounded him and left. “I had an emotional bond with that object, which also had my name,” said the franchise owner. A Kremlin spokesperson came out in defense of the honor of its president, and denied this story: “I heard how Mr. Kraft gave you this ring as a gift.”said.
The story did not end there, as Kraft assured that he would try that Donald Trump –during his first term- acted as intermediary to try to change the original ring for a similar one with Putin’s name. The story has not taken any further turns that we know of since then.
