Robert Wood Johnson IV was born on April 12,1947 and is an American businessman who was the United States ambassador to the United Kingdom from 2017 to 2021.
52 Facts About Woody Johnson
2.
Woody Johnson 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.
3.
Woody Johnson was the chairman and chief executive of The Woody Johnson Company, Inc.
4.
In January 2000, Woody Johnson purchased the New York Jets for $635 million, at the time the third-highest price for a professional sports team and the highest for a New York professional sports team.
5.
Woody Johnson outbid the offer of $612 million placed by Charles Dolan, the owner of the Madison Square Garden, New York Knicks, and New York Rangers.
6.
However, after the project's defeat in 2005, Woody Johnson announced the Jets would move to a new Meadowlands Stadium as an equal partner with the Giants.
7.
Woody Johnson was a member of the eight-man NFL search committee to choose a successor to Paul Tagliabue as NFL commissioner.
8.
In 2021, after returning to the US, Woody Johnson returned as Jets chairman, while Christopher Johnson became vice-chairman.
9.
In June 2021, Woody Johnson stated his excitement to work with coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas, whom he praised.
10.
Woody Johnson expressed optimism about putting together a winning team in 2021, after the Jets had experienced setbacks during his absence.
11.
In January 2023, Woody Johnson said that he felt the "missing piece" in the team's current lineup was a strong quarterback, citing the team's strong defense but weaker offense.
12.
Around that time, Woody Johnson began courting four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers, telling ESPN that "you want the best possible QB that you can get to lead the Jets".
13.
Woody Johnson became a fan of the football team while serving as US Ambassador to the United Kingdom.
14.
Woody Johnson has given more than $1 million to various Republican candidates and committees.
15.
Woody Johnson was later a major New York fund-raiser for Bush's 2000 presidential campaign.
16.
Woody Johnson provided significant funding to 2008 Republican National Convention host committee; from a $10 million shortfall, Woody Johnson contributed personally and solicited friends to assist in covering the convention deficit.
17.
In 2011, Woody Johnson endorsed former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in the 2012 Republican presidential primaries.
18.
In September 2013, Woody Johnson hosted a fundraiser for the Republican National Committee at his home in New York City.
19.
Nevertheless, in the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, Woody Johnson initially endorsed Jeb Bush over Trump.
20.
In June 2015, Woody Johnson was named the national finance chairman for Bush's campaign.
21.
In May 2016, after Trump became the presumptive nominee, Woody Johnson endorsed Trump for president.
22.
Woody Johnson met with Trump at Trump Tower and was named one of the RNC's six finance vice chairmen, responsible for an effort to raise $1 billion on behalf of Trump's campaign.
23.
Woody Johnson had by August 2019 donated $1.5 million to Trump's campaign and inaugural committee.
24.
In February 2020, Woody Johnson gave $575,000 to a fundraising committee for Trump's 2020 re-election campaign, and $355,000 to the RNC.
25.
On January 8,2021, Woody Johnson released a statement condemning the 2021 United States Capitol attack, and calling it a "dark day" in US history.
26.
On January 19,2017, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he planned to nominate Woody Johnson to become United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom.
27.
Woody Johnson was sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence on August 21,2017, in the Oval Office.
28.
Woody Johnson presented his credentials to Queen Elizabeth II on November 8,2017.
29.
In 2018, Woody Johnson oversaw the relocation of the United States Embassy in London from Grosvenor Square, where it had been since 1938, to a new location in Nine Elms.
30.
Woody Johnson advocated for a bilateral US-UK trade deal post-Brexit, in line with President Trump's hopes during that time.
31.
Woody Johnson had a private dinner with Queen Elizabeth II at Winfield House on March 14,2019, just two days after British Parliament rejected Theresa May's Brexit plan.
32.
In January 2020, Woody Johnson stated that the US was never interested in the NHS, but reiterated American interest in a free-trade deal with the UK.
33.
Woody Johnson advocated for closer agricultural trade between the US and UK, and the deregulation of US food exports to Britain.
34.
In March 2019, Woody Johnson wrote an article in the Daily Telegraph saying that chlorinated chicken was a "public safety no-brainer" and that health fears over hormone-fed beef were "myths".
35.
Woody Johnson advised the UK government to ban Huawei from being used in the nation's 5G networks after departing Prime Minister Theresa May approved the company in early 2019.
36.
Woody Johnson had been reported to have held official meetings at mens-only clubs in London, which meant that female staff members would not be able to attend.
37.
The report found morale problems at the embassy attributable to Woody Johnson's conduct, including his suggestions that embassy employees were disloyal to Trump, questioning of embassy staff's motives, and suggestions that he would remove embassy staff from their jobs for raising concerns.
38.
Woody Johnson denied that he had "treated employees with disrespect or discriminated in any way" and denied making any inappropriate comments.
39.
The New York Times reported, and the former deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in London Lewis Lukens later confirmed, that Trump had asked Woody Johnson to seek British government influence in obtaining the Open for Turnberry.
40.
Woody Johnson forced out Lukens several months later, before the scheduled end of his tenure in London.
41.
The report that Woody Johnson used his position as ambassador to promote the president's personal business interests sparked an inquiry by the State Department inspector general's office.
42.
In 1977, Woody Johnson married former fashion model Nancy Sale Woody Johnson.
43.
In early 2010, daughter Casey Woody Johnson died of diabetic ketoacidosis.
44.
Woody Johnson started a research foundation, the Alliance for Lupus Research, after his daughter Jaime was found to have lupus.
45.
Woody Johnson grew up in a Ukrainian neighbourhood in Greenwich Village.
46.
Woody Johnson has homes in Bedminster Township, New Jersey, and Manhattan, New York City.
47.
Woody Johnson is known for philanthropic contributions to medical research, especially for diabetes and lupus, two diseases affecting his family members.
48.
Woody Johnson lobbied to increase federal funding for research on the two conditions.
49.
Woody Johnson is a trustee of the Robert Wood Woody Johnson Jr.
50.
Woody Johnson was a chairman on the Council on Foreign Relations, and successfully lobbied Congress to approve a five-year, $750 million package for funding diabetes research in 2002.
51.
Woody Johnson is the founding chairman of the Alliance for Lupus Research.
52.
Woody Johnson founded the organization in 1999 after his daughter Jaime was diagnosed with lupus, and he realized that there was a lack of research in that area.