OBITUARY – EDGAR M. BRONFMAN

EDGAR M. BRONFMAN 84 – THE BILLIONAIRE BUSINESSMAN and philanthropist who, as chairman of the Seagram Company, expanded his family’s liquor-based empire, passed away in December.  Mr. Bronfman also served as president of the World Jewish Congress and championed the rights of Jews everywhere.  He inherited control of Seagram from his father, Samuel Bronfman, a self-made Canadian magnate who founded a distilling company in 1924 and got rich during Prohibition when Bronfman liquor found its way to American customers through bootleggers.  Edgar gave the company a more sophisticated image.  But, as liquor profits began to falter, he broadened the company by acquiring Tropicana, taking Seagram into the oil business and eventually making it the largest minority shareholder in DuPont, the chemical giant.  He turned Seagram over to his son Edgar Bronfman Jr., who became president in 1989 and chief executive in 1994.  Seagram’s beverage division was eventually acquired by Pernod Ricard and Diageo.  Bronfman was married 5 times, had 7 children, 24 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren.