Woody Johnson

Robert Wood Johnson IV (born April 12, 1947) is an American businessman who is the owner and chairman of the NFL's New York Jets and was formerly the United States ambassador to the United Kingdom from 2017 to 2021. He is a great-grandson of Robert Wood Johnson I and an heir to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical fortune. In 2000, he purchased the Jets for $635 million alongside his brother, Christopher Johnson.

A long-time Republican Party donor, Johnson was a supporter of Donald Trump's presidential campaign in 2016 and was subsequently appointed as the US Ambassador to the United Kingdom. Events during his tenure included Britain's exit from the EU and the relocation of the United States embassy in London. His brother Christopher took over Jets operations during his tenure.

Upon his return to the New York in 2021, Johnson resumed his role as chairman of the Jets. In 2023, he pursued Aaron Rodgers, with the Jets finalizing a trade with the Green Bay Packers in April. In 2022, Johnson made a £2 billion bid for Chelsea but withdrew from the bidding process later that month. In July of 2025, Johnson completed the purchase of a 43% stake in Crystal Palace from Eagle Football Holdings, becoming a partner and director of the club.

Johnson was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, the son of Betty Johnson (née Wold; 1921–2020) and Robert Wood Johnson III, and the great-grandson of Robert Wood Johnson I, who founded the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical company, along with his brothers James Wood Johnson and Edward Mead Johnson. Robert Wood Johnson IV grew up with four siblings: Keith Johnson, Billy Johnson, Elizabeth "Libet" Johnson, and Christopher Wold Johnson, in northern New Jersey, and attended the Millbrook School. He graduated from the University of Arizona. He worked for J&J for a single summer.

Johnson was the chairman and chief executive of The Johnson Company, Inc., a private investment firm.

In 2006, a Senate subcommittee produced a 370-page report that said that some prominent figures, including Johnson, purchased capital gain losses as a way to reduce their own income tax bills. Johnson settled with the IRS in 2006, agreeing to pay the owed taxes plus interest.

Johnson was the committee president of the Pre-Commissioning Unit for the San Antonio-class ship USS New York (LPD-21).

In January 2000, Woody Johnson purchased the New York Jets from the estate of Leon Hess for $635 million. At the time, it the third-highest price ever paid for a professional sports team, and the highest for a New York professional sports team. As of December of 2024, Forbes estimated the value of the team at $6.9 billion.