On this day in 2005, a series of big-name stars appeared at a Long Island, New York bat mitzvah that ended up costing $10 million. Over a decade later, the dad who footed the bill would end up in prison.
In what was either an exciting or bizarre surprise, depending on your perspective, 13-year old Elizabeth Brooks’s father, the late David H. Brooks, paid for a series of stars to grace the stage on his daughter’s coming-of-age event, including Kenny G, Don Henley, Stevie Nicks, and Tom Petty. The headliners were even more impressive, including 50 Cent and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry.
Guests (who were unaware of the stunt) received $1,000 gift bags full of personal electronics. Because those bags included digital cameras, the event ended up all over the internet and brought a lot of attention to the family.
That spotlight may have ended up being a bad thing for David Brooks. His defense contracting firm, DHB Industries, was doing well as a producer of body armor for the U.S. military (though it faced accusations of selling deficient equipment.) But in 2007, he was charged by the federal government with insider trading, tax evasion, and using company funds for personal gain, including paying for the bat mitzvah.
You can read more about the charges on the website of ABC News and the aftermath of the trial at the New York Post.
