[1] He was born in a Jewish family in New York City, the only son of music industry executive and record label owner Eli Oberstein and his wife Iris.
Maurice studied chemical engineering and law, and had a brief spell in the US Army,[1] before working for his father's Rondo label.
[1] He chaired the BPI (British Phonographic Industry) trade association between 1983 and 1985, and was a member of the Band Aid organising committee.
However, later that year Oberstein became managing director of Polygram Music, responsible for the company's acquisition of the A&M and Island catalogues, and ABBA's recordings.
He died in London in 2001, aged 72, of a heart attack while suffering from leukaemia,[1][3][4] leaving instructions that his ashes should be scattered at Cheltenham Racecourse and at Queen's Park Rangers' football ground.