Samuel Bronfman

Samuel Bronfman was a Canadian businessman who built a liquor empire from his father's modest hotel and bar business. He was born in Otaci, Bessarabia, then part of the Russian Empire, on February 27, 1889, and immigrated to Canada with his family in 1891. They settled in Wapella, Saskatchewan, where they engaged in various trades, such as selling firewood, fish, and horses. Samuel joined the family business at a young age and learned the hotel and liquor trade. He founded the Distillers Corporation in Montreal in 1924, and acquired the Seagram Company, a well-established liquor producer, in 1928. He expanded the company's product range and market share, and made it the world's largest distiller. He also diversified into other industries, such as oil and gas, chemicals, and entertainment. He was a generous philanthropist and a prominent leader of the Canadian Jewish community. He supported various educational, cultural, and humanitarian causes, such as the Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation, the Bronfman Building at McGill University, and the Bronfman Library at the Jewish Public Library. He also played a key role in the founding of the Canadian Jewish Congress and the World Jewish Congress, and advocated for the rights and interests of Jewish people around the world. He was married to Saidye Rosner Bronfman since 1922 and had four children, who later became involved in the family business and philanthropy. He died of a heart attack on July 10, 1971, in Montreal, at the age of 82.