Edgar Bronfman, Sr.

• Born: June 20, 1929
• Birthplace: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Died: December 21, 2013
• Place of death: Manhattan, New York, NY

Canadian liquor company magnate

Bronfman and his brother inherited their father’s liquor distillery, Seagram & Sons, and increased its business by expanding and diversifying the company’s products and holdings. Bronfman then used his wealth and social position to advance Jewish philanthropies and causes throughout the world.

Early Life

Edgar Miles Bronfman Sr. was born in Montreal, Quebec, to Samuel and Saidye Bronfman on June 20, 1929. He was the third of four children and the older of two sons. Growing up in Montreal, Bronfman attended Trinity College School in Ontario, Canada. As a young man, he rebelled against his father by denying his Judaism, turning his back on his family’s liquor distillery, and attending Williams College in the United States. However, he returned to Montreal to attend McGill University, from which he earned his bachelor’s degree in history, with honors, in 1951. He reconciled with his father and began to work with him at Seagram & Sons immediately after his graduation.

First Ventures

Bronfman worked at Seagram in Montreal from 1951 to 1957. He initially was an accounts payable clerk, but he was always in his father’s shadow. Although Samuel Bronfman seemed to be handing control of Seagram to the next generation, he remained an active and vocal owner, retaining full veto power. In 1957, Edgar Bronfman was given control and appointed president of the company’s American subsidiary; his younger brother, Charles, assumed the presidency of the company’s Canadian-based business. At the time, the American subsidiary of Seagram & Sons accounted for 81 percent of the company’s business.

Mature Wealth

As president of the American subsidiary, Bronfman began restoring Seagram’s prestige by resurrecting the defunct Calvert Reserve brand of whiskey, renaming it Calvert Extra. He went on a personal appearance tour and was featured in company advertisements to help market the new product. He expanded into marketing more diverse types of liquor, including vodka, gin, and wine. At the end of 1965, Bronfman had increased Seagram’s international presence to 119 countries and the company’s sales earnings exceeded $1 billion. Even though the years from 1961 to 1971 saw a 40 percent decrease in the worldwide market for whiskey, under Bronfman’s control Seagram actually increased its market by 9 percent. In 1975, four years after his father Samuel’s death, Bronfman changed the name of the firm to Seagram Company Ltd.

Bronfman used the power and wealth he had acquired at Seagram to underwrite his first major venture into a nonliquor industry. In 1969, he became president of MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) Studios after having bought $40 million of MGM stock. In one year under his creative control, MGM lost $25 million and Bronfman was forced to resign. This diversion into the film business cost Seagram $10 million.

After returning his attention to Seagram, Bronfman reorganized the company, naming his brother Charles president of the entire firm, with responsibility for both American and Canadian operations. By 1977, the company earned a profit of $84 million. Yet although Seagram’s product line was doing well, not all of Bronfman’s enterprises were as successful. In the 1980s, in an effort to diversify Seagram’s holdings, he attempted three corporate takeovers. After his $2.3 billion sale of Texas Pacific, the oil company his father had bought for $50 million in 1963, Bronfman contacted St. Joseph Minerals with a buyout plan, but he was rejected. His offer to take over Conoco Oil Co. also was refused, even though it was more than generous at $17 more per share than Conoco’s market price. However, in the bidding process Seagram did acquire a 32 percent share in Conoco, which Seagram traded for a 24 percent share in E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. The relationship with du Pont proved to be very lucrative and stable, and it lasted until 1995, when the company was sold by Bronfman’s son and heir. In 1981, Bronfman purchased Westmount Enterprises in order to market a new line of gourmet frozen foods, and he teamed with Coca-Cola to produce and distribute bottled mixed drinks and cocktails.

Bronfman used his wealth and influence to become one of the world’s most important Jewish figures, and had an enormous impact on Jewish and Israeli affairs. His long commitment to Jewish causes was evident by his roles in various organizations. From 1979 until 2007 he was the president of World Jewish Congress, an organization dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism and promoting Jewishness. However, the organization also held some controversial positions, such as supporting a two-state solution in Israel, promoting dialogue between Jews and moderate Muslims, and stopping the construction of new Israeli settlements in contested areas. Bronfman, who worked tirelessly with the organization and received much praise and recognition for his endeavors, left office in the midst of scandal over misuse of funds and his relationship with Israel Singer, the secretary general of the organization, whom Bronfman dismissed in 2007. Bronfman continued to be an outspoken supporter and critic of Israel and played an important role as adviser to American policy makers on issues concerning Israel.

Bronfman’s increasing interest in Jewish philanthropy and the Israeli-Arab peace process prompted him to turn over control of the Seagram company. When he announced his successor, he shocked the business world by naming his younger son, Edgar Bronfman, Jr. Everyone had expected that the college-educated Samuel Bronfman II would be made president instead of Edgar Jr., who had forgone college in order to break into the entertainment business. Edgar Jr.’s, disastrous initial foray into this business made him seem unsuitable as the head of a multibillion-dollar family business. Subsequently, this choice had dire effects on the Bronfman empire and fortune. Rifts in the family and the dissipation of the family’s wealth followed as a result of the younger Bronfman’s business decisions. In his retirement, Bronfman Sr. was largely mute on the subject of his son’s stewardship of the company and turned his attention to writing books, Jewish causes, and other philanthropic enterprises.

Bronfman was married five times to four different women. He had five children with his first wife and two with his third (and fourth) wife. His son Samuel drew media attention in the 1970s when he was kidnapped and held for ransom. His daughters Sara and Clare later became known for their involvement in the NXIVM cult, which became the focus of a sex-trafficking scandal. Bronfman died of natural causes in Manhattan, New York, on December 21, 2013, at the age of eighty-four.

Legacy

Edgar Bronfman Sr.’s legacy is closely tied to his connections with Jewish philanthropy. Believing that Jews must maintain a Jewish identity, he devoted much of his money and time to promoting Jewish and Israeli causes. While serving as the president of the World Jewish Congress, he was instrumental in publicizing Jewish concerns and fighting worldwide anti-Semitism. For example, under his presidency, this organization exposed Austrian president Kurt Waldheim’s past participation in Nazi activities. Bronfman was also deeply involved in negotiations with the Swiss government concerning Jewish property that was illegally confiscated during World War II. In addition, Bronfman helped thousands of Soviet Jews emigrate to the United States. As head of the World Jewish Restitution Organization, Bronfman fought for the return of stolen Jewish items confiscated during the war, not simply for financial restitution. He was a major supporter of Hillel, the international college-based Jewish organization. In his other philanthropic enterprises, he was a benefactor of McGill University, many museums and fine arts causes, and various other charities.

Bibliography

Bronfman, Edgar M. Good Spirits: The Making of a Businessman. Kirkwood, N.Y.: Putnam Adult, 1998.

Bronfman, Edgar M. The Making of a Jew. Kirkwood, N.Y.: Putnam Adult, 1996.

Bronfman, Edgar M. The Third Act: Reinventing Yourself After Retirement. Kirkwood, N.Y.: Putnam Adult, 2002.

Bronfman, Edgar M., and Beth Zasloff. Hope Not Fear: A Path to Jewish Renaissance. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2008.

Faith, Nicholas. The Bronfmans: The Rise and Fall of the House of Seagram. New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2006.

Kandell, Jonathan. "Edgar Bronfman, Who Built a Bigger, More Elegant Seagram, Dies at 84." The New York Times, 22 Dec. 2013, www.nytimes.com/2013/12/23/business/edgar-m-bronfman-who-brought-elegance-and-expansion-to-seagram-dies-at-84.html. Accessed 2 Oct. 2020.

McQueen, Rod. The Icarus Factor: The Rise and Fall of Edgar Bronfman, Jr. Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 2004.