The Mega Group was an informal group of influential Jewish entrepreneurs involved in Jewish affairs. It was founded in 1991 by Les Wexner and Charles Bronfman as the Study Group. The group met twice yearly for philanthropy and Judaism seminars. It is said to have had up to 50 members, including Hollywood director Steven Spielberg. Wexner led the group with Bronfman, and it inspired several philanthropic initiatives such as the Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education, Birthright Israel, and support for the renewal of Hillel International. The group became known to a wider public through a Wall Street Journal report in May 1998.
As a pro-Israel lobby group, the organization is also said to have tried to influence US foreign policy in the Middle East. In 2003, it employed Republican political consultant Frank Luntz to help the group mobilize support for Israel. The group is also said to have had contacts with the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad and to have served as a base for intelligence operations in the United States.
Jeffrey Epstein is said to have used the group to build up his network of high-ranking contacts in business, media, and politics. The billionaire Wexner was a major financial supporter of Epstein and later claimed to have known nothing of his criminal activities.
Members
The following were named as members of the group:
- Les Wexner
- Charles Bronfman
- Edgar Bronfman
- Max Fisher
- Michael Steinhardt
- Leonard Abramson
- Harvey Meyerhoff
- Laurence Tisch
- Charles Schusterman
- Steven Spielberg
- Lester Crown
- Marvin Lender
- Ronald Lauder
References
- ^ Miller, Lisa. "Titans of Industry Join Forces To Work for Jewish Philanthropy". WSJ. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
- ^ "The Mogul and the Monster: Inside Jeffrey Epstein's Decades-Long Relationship With His Biggest Client". Vanity Fair. 2021-06-08. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
- ^ "Former NSA counterspy says Jeffrey Epstein was part of Israeli network". Washington Times. Retrieved 2024-02-28.