Charles Bronfman, (born June 27, 1931) is a Canadian-American businessman and philanthropist and is a member of the
Canadian Jewish Bronfman family
The Bronfman family is a Canadian family, known for its extensive business holdings. It owes its initial fame to Samuel Bronfman (1889–1971), the most influential Canadian Jew of the mid-20th century, who made a fortune in the alcoholic distill ...
. With an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion in 2023, Bronfman was ranked by ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' as the 1,217th wealthiest person in the world.
Biography
Bronfman was born into a
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
family in
Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
. He is the son of
Samuel Bronfman and
Saidye Rosner Bronfman. He has two older sisters, the art patron Baroness
Aileen "Minda" Bronfman de Gunzberg, and architecture expert and developer
Phyllis Lambert. His older brother,
Edgar Bronfman, Sr., was his fellow co-chair of
Seagram
The Seagram Company Ltd. (which trade name, traded as Seagram's) was a Canadian multinational beverage and during the last few years of its existence, entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate formerly headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. ...
.
Edgar Bronfman Jr.
Edgar Miles Bronfman Jr. (born May 16, 1955) is an American businessman, filmmaker, theater producer, and media executive who is a managing partner at Accretive LLC. He previously was CEO of Warner Music Group from 2004 to 2011, and was its chair ...
is Edgar's son. He was educated at
Selwyn House School in Montreal,
Trinity College School
Trinity College School (TCS) is a co-educational, independent boarding and day school located in Port Hope, Ontario, Canada. TCS was founded on May 1, 1865, more than two years before Canadian Confederation. It includes a Senior School for ...
in
Port Hope, Ontario
Port Hope is a municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, about east of Toronto and west of Kingston, Ontario, Kingston. It is at the mouth of the Ganaraska River on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in the west end of Northumberland County, Onta ...
, and
McGill University
McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...
. Bronfman said he is Canadian in his heart but sought his dual citizenship in order to vote in the United States.
Business career
Bronfman held various positions in the family's liquor empire,
Seagram
The Seagram Company Ltd. (which trade name, traded as Seagram's) was a Canadian multinational beverage and during the last few years of its existence, entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate formerly headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. ...
, from 1951 to 2000. In 1951 Bronfman's father
Samuel Bronfman gave Charles a 33% ownership stake in
Cemp Investments Cemp Investments (1951–1987, succeeded by Claridge Investments) was the primary holding company and investment vehicle for, and named after, the four children of Samuel Bronfman: Charles Bronfman, Edgar Bronfman, Aileen "Minda" Bronfman de Gunz ...
, a holding company for him and his 3 siblings which controlled the family's corporate empire. Under the leadership of Charles and brother
Edgar
Edgar is a commonly used masculine English given name, from an Anglo-Saxon name ''Edgar'' (composed of ''wikt:en:ead, ead'' "rich, prosperous" and ''Gar (spear), gar'' "spear").
Like most Anglo-Saxon names, it fell out of use by the Late Midd ...
, it controlled billions of dollars in liquor, real estate, oil and gas, and chemical companies.
Bronfman and his brother, Edgar, inherited the
Seagram
The Seagram Company Ltd. (which trade name, traded as Seagram's) was a Canadian multinational beverage and during the last few years of its existence, entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate formerly headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. ...
spirits empire in 1971 after the death of their father,
Sam Bronfman. Bronfman is a former co-chairman of the
Seagram
The Seagram Company Ltd. (which trade name, traded as Seagram's) was a Canadian multinational beverage and during the last few years of its existence, entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate formerly headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. ...
Company Ltd. On the 2000 demise of the company: "It was a disaster, it is a disaster, it will be a disaster," he says. "It was a family tragedy."
Bronfman was also well known for his forays into professional sports. He was majority owner of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
's
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos () were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in the National League (baseball), National League ...
from the team's formation in 1968 until 1991. He sold the franchise for $100 million CAD to a consortium of local investors led by
Claude Brochu on November 29, 1990. The sale was completed months later on June 14, 1991. In 1982, a day after the
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: ''Les Alouettes de Montréal'') are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has disbanded twice and been re-established thrice. The Alouettes compe ...
of the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...
collapsed due to financial troubles, Bronfman bought their remains and used them to start a new franchise, the Montreal Concordes. This venture proved far less successful – despite later rebranding the team as the Alouettes, the team folded prior to the start of the
1987 CFL season.
Since 1986, he has served as chairman of The Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, Inc.
He planned to close the foundation in 2016.
From November 1997 until July 2002, Bronfman was the chairman of the board of Koor Industries Ltd., one of Israel's largest investment holding companies. He is the co-chairman of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada. From 1999 to 2001, Bronfman was the first chairman of the
United Jewish Communities
The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), formerly the United Jewish Communities (UJC), is an American Jewish umbrella organization for the Jewish Federations system, representing over 350 independent Jewish communities across North Ameri ...
, the merged North American organization comprising
United Jewish Appeal, the Council of Jewish Federations and
United Israel Appeal.
In April 2013, Bronfman was one of 100 prominent American Jews who sent a letter to Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu (born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who has served as the prime minister of Israel since 2022, having previously held the office from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021. Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime min ...
urging him to "work closely" with Secretary of State
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...
"to devise pragmatic initiatives, consistent with Israel's security needs, which would represent Israel's readiness to make painful territorial sacrifices for the sake of peace."
Philanthropy
He and
Michael Steinhardt
Michael H. Steinhardt (born December 7, 1940) is an American billionaire Hedge fund, hedge fund manager, philanthropist, and former antiquities collector. In 1967, he founded a hedge fund, Steinhardt Partners which he ran until he closed it in 19 ...
co-founded
Taglit Birthright, a program which provides a free, educational travel experience to
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
for young Jewish adults. Bronfman is one of its principal donors. Since 1999, the program has sent more than 700,000 young Jews from around the world on a 10-day free trip to Israel.
In 1991, Bronfman with billionaire
Leslie Wexner formed the "
Mega Group",
a loosely organized club of some the wealthiest and most influential businessmen who were concerned with Jewish issues.
Max Fisher,
Michael Steinhardt
Michael H. Steinhardt (born December 7, 1940) is an American billionaire Hedge fund, hedge fund manager, philanthropist, and former antiquities collector. In 1967, he founded a hedge fund, Steinhardt Partners which he ran until he closed it in 19 ...
,
Leonard Abramson,
Edgar Bronfman Sr., and
Laurence Tisch were some of the members. The "Mega Group" would meet twice a year for two days of seminars related to the topic of philanthropy and Jewishness. In 1998,
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...
spoke about his personal religious journey, and later the group discussed Jewish summer camps. The "Mega Group", went on to inspire a number of philanthropic initiatives such as the
Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education,
Birthright Israel
Taglit-Birthright Israel (), also known as Birthright Israel or simply Birthright, is a free ten-day heritage trip to Israel, Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights for young adults of Jewish heritage between the ages of 18 and 26. The program is spon ...
, and the upgrading of
national Hillel.
He was linked to scandal in 1999, when it was revealed that funds he had donated to social causes were transferred to
Ehud Barak
Ehud Barak ( ; born Ehud Brog; 12 February 1942) is an Israeli former general and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Israel, prime minister from 1999 to 2001. He was leader of the Israeli Labor Party, Labor Party between 1997 and 20 ...
's election campaign for
Prime Minister of Israel
The prime minister of Israel (, Hebrew abbreviations, Hebrew abbreviation: ; , ''Ra'īs al-Ḥukūma'') is the head of government and chief executive of the Israel, State of Israel.
Israel is a parliamentary republic with a President of Isra ...
, to which he had previously contributed, among others.
Bronfman was the largest donor to contribute to the renovation of the
Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center and has also contributed to the
Israel Museum
The Israel Museum (, ''Muze'on Yisrael'', ) is an Art museum, art and archaeology museum in Jerusalem. It was established in 1965 as Israel's largest and foremost cultural institution, and one of the world's leading Encyclopedic museum, encyclopa ...
.
The
Fredric R. Mann Auditorium was refurbished by Bronfman's donation, and reopened as the
Charles Bronfman Auditorium, in May 2013.
Bronfman is chairman of the
Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies Inc., a family of charitable foundations operating in Israel, the U.S., and Canada. Since its foundation in 1986, the charity spent more than $340 million to about 1,820 organizations. In 2016 Bonfman closed the charity, which was planned over years. Bronfman is also responsible for
The Charles Bronfman Prize, honoring individuals for their humanitarian contributions. The first winner was
Gift of Life Marrow Registry founder
Jay Feinberg. He also founded the CRB Foundation, which runs educational enrichment classes in outlying areas in collaboration with the Education Ministry in Israel.
Bronfman was a founding co-chairman of
Historica Canada
Historica Canada is a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to promoting the country's history and citizenship. All of its programs are offered bilingually and reach more than 28 million Canadians annually.
A registered national charitabl ...
, producers of the ''
Heritage Minutes
''The Heritage Minutes'' is a series of sixty-second short films, each illustrating an important moment in History of Canada, Canadian history. Published by Historica Canada the ''Minutes'' integrate Canadian history, Canadian folklore, folklore ...
'' series of television shorts. It was at an early meeting of this foundation (originally the CAB Foundation) that he asked the members, "If television can use 30 seconds or 60 seconds to persuade people that Cadillacs or cornflakes are interesting, couldn't we also use that short piece of time to persuade Canadians that their history is interesting? You tell me how to do it, and I'll fund it." It was out of that discussion that the ''
Heritage Minutes
''The Heritage Minutes'' is a series of sixty-second short films, each illustrating an important moment in History of Canada, Canadian history. Published by Historica Canada the ''Minutes'' integrate Canadian history, Canadian folklore, folklore ...
'' were conceived, piloted, distributed through cinemas and broadcasters across the country, and then confirmed as a major contribution of the foundation – which a few years later became Historica, recently merged with the
Dominion Institute.
Bronfman joined the
Giving Pledge, an initiative of the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Gates Foundation is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was launched in 2000 and is reported to be the third largest charitable foundation in the world, holding $ ...
.
In 2022, he donated $5 million to
McGill Institute for the Study of Canada (MISC), which he co-founded in 1994, for Conversations about Canada, launching with "Comparing Immigration Policies: Canada & the World" in 2023.
Bronfman was one of the first signees of the
Jewish Future Pledge, a charitable campaign launched in 2020 modeled after The Giving Pledge to encourage
American Jews
American Jews (; ) or Jewish Americans are American citizens who are Jewish, whether by culture, ethnicity, or religion. According to a 2020 poll conducted by Pew Research, approximately two thirds of American Jews identify as Ashkenazi, 3% id ...
to designate at least 50% of their charitable giving to Jewish- or Israel-related causes.
Personal life
Bronfman has been married four times:
* Barbara Baerwald (1938 – 2021). Married 1961, divorced 1982. They had two children.
**
Stephen Bronfman runs the investment firm founded by his father, Claridge. He is married to Claudine Blondin.
** Ellen Jane Bronfman is married to
Andrew Hauptman. They are the founders of the private investment firm
Andell Holdings
Andell Holdings is a private investment firm and one of the nation's leading family offices. Andell invests directly in private and public companies and real estate, acquiring control and minority stakes, as well as with top-tier investment mana ...
, the former owner of the
Chicago Fire Soccer Club.
*
Andrea "Andy" Brett Morrison Cohen (1945 – 2006). They married in 1982. She died in 2006 after being struck by a taxi when she went out to walk her dog.
She has three children from a previous marriage to Canadian manufacturer David Cohen, a grandson of
Lyon Cohen and cousin of singer
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian songwriter, singer, poet, and novelist. Themes commonly explored throughout his work include faith and mortality, isolation and depression, betrayal and redemption, soc ...
: Jeremy Cohen, Pippa Cohen, and Tony Cohen.
* Bonita "Bonnie" Roche. In 2008, married Roche, an architect, in New York City. They divorced in 2011, on amicable terms, celebrating their divorce with a lavish "divorce party."
* Rita Mayo. They married in 2012.
Awards and honours
* 1981: Made an Officer of the
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...
* 1990: Doctorate of Philosophy,
Honoris Causa
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...
awarded from
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; ) is an Israeli public university, public research university based in Jerusalem. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Chaim Weizmann in July 1918, the public university officially opened on 1 April 1925. ...
* 1990: Doctorate of Laws, Honoris Causa received from
McGill University
McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...
.
* 1992: Member of the
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The King's Privy Council for Canada (), sometimes called His Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council (PC), is the full group of personal advisors to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs. Practically, ...
.
* 1992: Promoted to Companion of the Order of Canada
* 1992: Doctorate of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa from
Brandeis University
Brandeis University () is a Private university, private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located within the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian, non-sectarian, coeducational university, Bra ...
* 1992: Doctorate of Laws, Honoris Causa from
Concordia University
Concordia University () is a Public university, public English-language research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College (Montreal), Loyola College and Sir George Williams Universit ...
* 1993:
Montreal Expos Hall of Fame
* 1995: Doctorate of Laws, Honoris Causa from the
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo (UWaterloo, UW, or Waterloo) is a Public university, public research university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is on of land adjacent to uptown Waterloo and Waterloo Park. The university also op ...
* 2000: Doctorate of Laws, Honoris Causa from the
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...
* 2002: Bronfman, along with his wife Andrea, were awarded
Honorary Citizenship
Honorary citizenship is a status bestowed by a city or other government on a foreign or native individual whom it considers to be especially admirable or otherwise worthy of the distinction. The honor usually is symbolic and does not confer an ...
of
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
* 2017: Doctor of Hebrew Letters, Honoris Causa from the
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) is a Conservative Jewish education organization in New York City, New York. It is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism as well as a hub for academic scholarship in Jewish studies ...
*2019: Honorary citizen, invited by the City of Montreal to sign the city's book of honour
Works or publications
* Bronfman, Charles, and Jeffrey Solomon. ''The Art of Doing Good: Where Passion Meets Action.'' San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2012.
* Bronfman, Charles, and Jeffrey Solomon. ''The Art of Giving: Where the Soul Meets a Business Plan.'' San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2010.
Seagram Museum collection at
Hagley Museum and Library
The Hagley Museum and Library is a nonprofit educational institution in unincorporated New Castle County, Delaware, near Wilmington. Covering more than along the banks of the Brandywine Creek, the museum and grounds include the first du Po ...
''(finding aid)''
References
External links
Charles Bronfmanat
The Canadian Encyclopedia
''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; ) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with financial support by the federal Department of Canadian Heritage and Society of Com ...
Bronfman Familyat The Canadian Encyclopedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bronfman, Charles
1931 births
Living people
Anglophone Quebec people
Charles Bronfman
Businesspeople from Montreal
Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductees
Canadian billionaires
Canadian people of Russian-Jewish descent
Canadian Zionists
Companions of the Order of Canada
American billionaires
American people of Russian-Jewish descent
American Zionists
20th-century Canadian Jews
21st-century Canadian Jews
20th-century American Jews
21st-century American Jews
Naturalized citizens of the United States
21st-century Canadian philanthropists
Canadian philanthropists
21st-century American philanthropists
Major League Baseball owners
Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada
McGill University alumni
Montreal Alouettes owners
Montreal Expos owners
Selwyn House School alumni