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Who founded MeidasTouch and what are their backgrounds?
Executive Summary
MeidasTouch was founded in March 2020 by three brothers: Ben (Ben Meiselas), Brett (Brett Meiselas), and Jordy/Jordan Meiselas. The three bring legal, video-production, and marketing skill sets to the operation, and reporting highlights both rapid audience growth and questions about political activity and transparency [1] [2] [3].
1. Who the Brothers Are — A Crisp Origin Story That Keeps Repeating
Contemporary profiles consistently identify the founders as Ben, Brett, and Jordy (or Jordan) Meiselas, launching MeidasTouch in March 2020 as a rapid-response digital-media political operation focused on viral video content. Multiple summaries trace the network’s origin to the three siblings acting together to produce anti-Trump and pro‑democracy messaging, with the group explicitly framed as a political intervention aiming to influence public attention and electoral outcomes during the 2020 U.S. campaign season [1] [4] [2]. The organization’s own descriptions and journalistic profiles converge on the same trio and the same founding date, establishing the basic factual claim with consistent, repeated sourcing across pieces compiled in the analyses [5] [3].
2. Ben Meiselas — Lawyer, Strategist, and Public-Facing Founder
Reporting portrays Ben Meiselas as the group’s principal legal and strategic voice, described variously as a former litigator, an attorney with high-profile client affiliations, and a law‑adjacent professional with organizational leadership roles. One analysis identifies Ben as a former litigator and a USC law professor [5], while other pieces characterize him as an attorney who has represented or partnered with high-profile figures like Colin Kaepernick, and refer to him as a “top lawyer” who helps shape MeidasTouch’s legal and messaging posture [2] [6]. These portrayals underline Ben’s role in bridging legal credibility and political advocacy, with multiple sources emphasizing his prominence inside the enterprise and public-facing advocacy on legal and policy questions [5] [6].
3. Brett Meiselas — Emmy-Winning Editor and Production Lead
The sources uniformly depict Brett Meiselas as the editorial and production engine: an Emmy‑winning video editor with entertainment industry experience, reportedly including work on high-profile television programs. Profiles stress Brett’s role in crafting the rapid-turnaround, emotionally charged video ads and social clips that propelled MeidasTouch’s visibility; one source specifically links Brett’s background to prior mainstream TV production work, and multiple items call out his Emmy credits as evidence of professional editing pedigree [2] [6]. This cinematic skill set is credited with helping the network generate viral reach and millions of social views, which became central to MeidasTouch’s strategy and fundraising pitch [7] [3].
4. Jordy/Jordan Meiselas — Marketing and Audience Growth Architect
Analyses identify Jordy or Jordan Meiselas as the marketing and advertising specialist who steered audience acquisition, membership models, and commercial lines like merchandise. Sources describe him as an award‑winning marketing or advertising executive whose expertise complements Ben’s legal credibility and Brett’s production craft, completing a triad of law, creative, and growth competencies [6] [2]. This role is presented as central to converting viral content into paid memberships, small-dollar donor revenue, and political fundraising, indicating that the brothers intentionally designed MeidasTouch as a mixed commercial‑political entity rather than a conventional newsroom [1] [4].
5. Funding, Purpose, and the Political Debate About Transparency
Across the pieces, MeidasTouch is characterized not only by founders’ biographies but also by its political mission and funding mix. The operation positioned itself as an explicitly anti‑Trump, pro‑democracy venture that married viral creative with fundraising—individual donations, memberships, a shop, and advertising revenue—while also operating political communications and PAC functions during 2020 [1] [4]. Reporting from 2020–2021 documents rapid audience growth and significant fundraising, but also flags questions about organizational transparency and the effectiveness of such tactics; critics and experts raised concerns about how donor funds were allocated and whether viral content translated into durable political outcomes [7] [3].
6. Where Sources Agree and Where They Diverge — A Compact Assessment
The sources converge on the core facts: three Meiselas brothers founded MeidasTouch in March 2020, and their complementary backgrounds—law (Ben), video editing and entertainment (Brett), and marketing/advertising (Jordy/Jordan)—explain the enterprise’s structure and approach [1] [2] [3]. Differences appear in emphasis and detail: some pieces stress Ben’s association with high‑profile legal clients like Colin Kaepernick [2] [6], while others highlight academic or litigation credentials [5]. Reporting from 2020–2021 also adds evaluative commentary about transparency and political impact, which is separate from the factual claim about founders but important context when assessing the organization’s public role [7] [3].