Nicola Peltz Beckham’s dad, Nelson Peltz, reportedly tried to buy New York Magazine with Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein back in the early ‘00s.
According to a resurfaced 2003 report from the New York Times, Nelson, 83, was included in a group looking to purchase the outlet. The group also contained the late Epstein, Weinstein, 73, Deutsch Inc. CEO Donnie Deutsch and The Daily News and U.S. News & World Report owner Mortimer Zuckerman.
The group, which was led by Zuckerman, bid $45 million for the magazine, per the Times, but were ultimately outbid by $10 million from investment banker Bruce Wasserstein.
“We made it clear that we were willing to put more money on the table,” Zuckerman said in a 2003 statement to The Times. ”But after they had a handshake, they were not willing to entertain other offers.”
A source exclusively tells Us Weekly, “It was a large group of potential investors who were brought together by the bankers. Nelson only met Epstein once and it’s not even clear that Epstein was apart of it.” The insider also insinuated it’s a moot point, saying, “The bid was unsuccessful.”
Us has reached out to Nelson and Nicola for comment.
In the years following their attempt to purchase the magazine, Epstein and Weinstein became disgraced public figures. Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to charges of child prostitution and soliciting a prostitute. As part of a plea deal, he served 13 months behind bars.
More than a decade later, Epstein faced legal issues a second time. In July 2019, the convicted sex offender was taken into custody on federal charges of sex trafficking minors in Florida and New York. The following month, Epstein was found dead in his jail cell. He was 66.
Weinstein, meanwhile, was accused of sexually harassing, assaulting and raping more than a dozen women in 2017. The allegations, which the disgraced film producer has denied, sparked the MeToo movement.
In February 2020, Weinstein was found guilty of rape and sexual assault charges in New York and sentenced to 23 years in prison. Two years later, he was found guilty of further rape and sexual misconduct charges in California and sentenced to an additional 16 years in prison.
Four years after Weinstein’s verdict, the New York Court of Appeals overturned his rape convictions. The decision was due to “egregious errors” of procedure after the judge allowed victims to testify about allegations that were not part of the specific case. A retrial was subsequently ordered. Weinstein remained in prison due to his California conviction, which was not affected.
Nelson has been in the headlines recently due to his daughter’s connection to the Beckham family. Nicola, 31, married Brooklyn Beckham, the eldest son of David and Victoria Beckham, in 2022. (Victoria, 51, and David, 50, also share sons Romeo and Cruz as well as daughter Harper.)
Following Nicola and Brooklyn’s 2022 wedding, rumors swirled that there was a rift between Nicola, Brooklyn, David and Victoria. Brooklyn confirmed the speculation earlier this month, when he released a bombshell statement addressing the feud.
“I have been silent for years and made every effort to keep these matters private. Unfortunately, my parents and their team have continued to go to the press, leaving me with no choice but to speak for myself and tell the truth about only some of the lies that have been printed,” he wrote via social media. “I do not want to reconcile with my family. I’m not being controlled, I’m standing up for myself for the first time in my life.”
Brooklyn claimed that his parents had “endlessly” attempted to “ruin” his relationship with Nicola since their wedding.
“My mum cancelled making Nicola’s dress in the eleventh hour despite how excited she was to wear her design, forcing her to urgently find a new dress,” Brooklyn alleged. “[They also] repeatedly pressured and attempted to bribe me into signing away the rights to my name, which would have affected me, my wife and our future children.”
Nicola’s family have not addressed her feud with the Beckhams. However, Nicola and Brooklyn have spent quality time with her dad and mom, Claudia Heffner Peltz. Nicola and Brooklyn shared a photo of them alongside Nelson and Claudia during the 2025 holiday season.
“We wish everyone a merry christmas and a happy new year filled with so much love, peace and happiness ❤️🎄⭐️, “ the couple captioned the post.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
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