Distilled : a memoir of family, Seagram, baseball, and philanthropy

Bronfman, Charles -- 1931- (Author). Green, Howard, 1959- (Added Author).

Summary: Charles Bronfman grew up surrounded by luxury, in the twenty-room mansion with a large staff. Via the family's control of the distilling giant Seagram, the Bronfmans dominated the liquor business, with brands such as Crown Royal, V.O., and Chivas Regal. By the 1980s, Seagram was also the biggest shareholder of DuPont, and by the 1990s, the family's wealth was in the billions, culminating in the $35-billion sale of Seagram to France's Vivendi, which led to financial and family disaster. In <i>Distilled,</i> Charles reflects on all of it - his relationship with his parents and his brother, Edgar; working in the family business; landing Canada's first big-league baseball franchise (the Montreal Expos); leading a philanthropic life by promoting Canadian identity through Heritage Minutes and supporting Israel through such innovative initiatives as the globally respected Birthright Israel; and how the Bronfman family splintered over the sale of Seagram.

Record details

ISBN: 9781443448475 (hardcover)
Physical Description: print
xx, 348 pages, 24 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 24 cm
Edition: First edition.
Publisher: Toronto, Ontario : HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, [2016]
Copyright: ©2016

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:	Includes bibliographical references and index.
Formatted Contents Note:	Basket case kid -- Overwhelming family -- Young man in business -- Bringing Major League Baseball to Canada -- DuPont: Selling the insurance policy -- Selling Seagram: Losing the farm -- Philanthropy: Finding my Métier -- Heritage minutes: I didn't know that! -- Israel: Hope over upset -- The magic of birthright Israel -- Family: Love, loss, regret, and pride -- Reflections of a contented man.