Who is Robert Kraft, the American billionaire who dropped Macklemore from Ed Sheeran tour

Ed Sheeran was put in a position to drop the American rapper ahead of the Boston show

The Loop Tour began early this year in January in Auckland, New Zealand, and is set to conclude in Mexico City, Mexico, later in the year. 

However, the Suffolk singer has been at the centre of a quite messy ordeal, as Macklemore had been booted from the remaining dates for chanting a ‘Free Palestine’ speech while on scene.

Macklemore set out a peaceful explanation on social media over the rumblings of his removal, stressing that this was not Ed’s fault all together, but rather because of Patriots owner, Robert Kraft. 

Kraft, who owns Gillette Stadium near Boston, Massachusetts, supported his decision to purposefully mount a pressure campaign on the Loop Tour so that Sheeran and other artists affiliated to the show could not perform at their stadium, calling on other venue owners to boycott Sheeran. 

Macklemore wrote: “Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium.

“Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.” 

Who is Robert Kraft and why did he rally pressures to boycott the tour?

Kraft has gained notoriety over the last couple of days for his commitment to boycott all venues ahead of the Loop Tour.

Praised by Donald Trump as a “winner” and a “special friend to Israel”, Kraft has built close alliances with the US President and Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyuahu. 

Trump said at a White House event: “You've been a special friend of Israel, nobody closer to Israel than Bob Kraft."

Kraft shared words of his own at the event: "I'm so proud at this time that we're doing something that is so bipartisan and my wife, bless her memory, would be smiling right now because she loved America first and Israel. . . and wanted to build bridges between the two places.”

The Patriots owner said that letting Macklemore perform at his stadium would be “crossing a line”, condemning the rapper’s words of "a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community."

Kraft, a multi-billionaire, has donated over £15 million to Israeli and Jewish institutions.

He made earlier news in 2026 for being named in the Epstein files, and was notably appointed one of Epstein’s lawyers when charged for soliciting prostitution in 2019. He was acquitted in 2020.

In 2024, he stopped donations to his alma mater, Columbia UNiversity, for allowing its students to protest against the war raged in Palestine. 

The billionaire reportedly lobbied to prevent the Loop Tour to other NFL stadium owners, guaranteeing Sheeran that his tour wouldn’t go on for much longer.

However, Kraft has not publicly come out to deny or confirm this claim.

Ed Sheeran has come out with a statement saying he does not support the destruction and violence on either side of the conflict, staying fairly central in the midst of it all.

Other artists and starting performances have decided to leave Ed Sheeran’s show in support of Macklemore’s departure.