Jonathan Kraft
About Jonathan A. Kraft
Independent director at TKO since September 2023; age 61. President of The Kraft Group LLC since July 1995 with deep sports and entertainment operating experience. Education: BA in History (Williams College) and MBA (Harvard Business School). Current external governance roles include Chair of Massachusetts General Hospital’s board and trustee/committee positions across Mass General Brigham, Harvard Business School, Williams College, Dexter Southfield and Belmont Hill School. He is an Endeavor-designated director and qualifies as independent under NYSE rules and TKO’s bylaws .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Kraft Group LLC | President | Jul 1995–present | Leads diversified sports/entertainment and related businesses |
| The Kraft Group & affiliates | Director | Since Jul 1990 | Board oversight across portfolio |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General) | Board member (Chair) | Since 2010 | Chairs board; hospital governance |
| Mass General Brigham Inc. | Board of Trustees | Since Jan 2017 | Health system governance |
| Harvard Business School | Board of Advisors | Since Jun 2013 | Strategic advisory |
| Williams College | Investment Committee | Since Oct 2006 | Endowment oversight |
| Dexter Southfield | Board of Trustees | Since Jun 2016 | School governance |
| Belmont Hill School | Board of Trustees | Since Jun 2003 | School governance |
| Paper & Packaging Board | Director | Since Jan 2019 | Industry marketing program |
Board Governance
- Independence: Determined independent under NYSE rules and TKO bylaws .
- Committee assignments: Not a member of Audit, Compensation, or Nominating committees in 2024–2025 .
- Attendance: Board met 7 times in 2024; all incumbent directors attended ≥75% of meetings except Dwayne Johnson—Kraft met the ≥75% threshold .
- Tenure: Director since September 2023 .
- Investor support: Re-elected in 2025 with 182,025,003 “For” votes and 1,512,702 “Withheld” (broker non-votes 6,977,807) .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors hold executive sessions at least annually .
- Controlled company: Endeavor controls >50% voting power; TKO relies on NYSE “controlled company” exemptions, reducing mandated independent committee composition (particularly Nominating) .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual director cash retainer (2024) | $107,000 | Paid quarterly; standard for non-employee directors |
| Committee chair/member fees | $0 | No committee service; policy: Audit chair +$15k, Audit member +$21k; Comp chair +$20k, Comp member +$10k; Nominating chair +$15k, member +$7.5k |
| Total cash (2024) | $107,000 |
Policy reference:
- Non-employee director compensation policy provides $107,000 annual fee plus committee fees above; earned quarterly .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award | Grant Value | Units / Vesting | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU grant (2024) | $183,498 | Vests in full at 2025 stockholder meeting; annual grant policy targets ~$182,000 RSU value; vesting accelerates on change in control | 2024 |
| Unvested RSUs at 12/31/2024 | 1,700 units vesting at 2025 meeting | Director-level RSUs; standard annual grant | 2024 |
Notes:
- Director equity is time-based RSUs; no disclosed performance (PSU/TSR/EBITDA) metrics in director compensation program .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Public company boards: None disclosed for Kraft in past five years; roles are primarily private/non-profit .
- Governance agreement: Kraft is one of seven Endeavor designees to the TKO board per Governance Agreement; WWE and Endeavor hold designation rights until December 31, 2025 (Sunset Date) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Sports and entertainment operating experience (President, The Kraft Group) .
- Health system governance and academic advisory experience (Mass General/MGB, HBS) .
- Investment oversight (Williams College Investment Committee) .
- Education: BA (Williams), MBA (Harvard Business School) .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (Class A) | 38,232 shares (<1%) | Includes 1,700 RSUs vesting within 60 days of April 17, 2025 and 23,500 shares held by KPC US Equity LLC with shared voting/dispositive power |
| Pledging/Hedging | None disclosed for Kraft; company prohibits hedging for directors, officers, employees | |
| Section 16 compliance | One late Form 4 filing due to inadvertent administrative error; subsequently reported |
Governance Assessment
- Independence and alignment: Independent director with moderate personal share ownership and annual RSU grants; anti-hedging policy enhances alignment .
- Committee influence: Not serving on standing committees reduces direct oversight leverage (audit/comp/nom); board remains under controlled company structure limiting certain NYSE independence requirements .
- Attendance and engagement: Meets ≥75% attendance requirement in 2024; board held executive sessions of independent and non-management directors .
- Investor confidence: Strong re-election support in 2025 (182.0M “For”, 1.5M “Withheld”) .
- Related-party/conflict review: TKO may transact with venues affiliated with Kraft; no payments were made under such agreements in 2024; monitoring appropriate given Endeavor’s control and board designation dynamics .
RED FLAGS
- Controlled company status reduces independent committee requirements and may limit independent director influence .
- One late Section 16 Form 4 filing (administrative error) merits process vigilance .
Signals
- High shareholder support in 2025 director vote suggests confidence in board composition and Kraft’s role .
- No director-level performance-based compensation metrics; equity is time-based RSUs consistent with market norms .