Benjamin Abercrombie

Benjamin Franklin Abercrombie is the founder and benefactor of the CMI. He is a 14 year old billionaire. Along with his colleagues, head professors, and the staff of the CMI, he runs the organization. Ben has large influence over the public and in society.

Personality & Appearance
Ben, according to Maxine, was a "shaggy-haired boy in jeans and a black turtleneck." He, as depicted in a drawing in The Genius Experiment, also has glasses, presumably paid by himself. Max calls him cute, and her friends, Siobhan and Tisa seem to like Ben a lot when they first meet him. The first book does not mention much more about his appearance. In the second book, Ben has his dark hair swept up in a cute, light, gelled hairstyle and a light sweatshirt. In the third book, his hair is windblown in a handsome sweeping style and wears glasses, white long-sleeved shirt, and jeans. He also carries a boxy briefcase.

"Tisa and Siobhan, who'd never met Ben before, raced each other across the tarmac, each hoping to be the first to shake the benefactor's hand." -Rebels with a Cause

"Your fella's a fine-lookin' thing." -Siobhan

"He was also extremely cute." -Saves The Future chapter 1

Ben is socially awkward, having become an orphan at a young age. He was always surrounded by his huge inheritance. However, he used his inheritance to do good things. Max says that he has a big and kind heart and the CMI team are honored to be chosen by Ben. It is possible that he founded the CMI, but it was never confirmed. He, unintentionally, tends to be rude at times, as he never really knew how to be social. He is only a few years older than Max; Ben being 14 and Max being 12. He is also quite considerate at times, buying Max her new apartment as she never had a "real" home and buys all the equipment needed for the team to use even if it is expensive. Ben is also paranoid and cares for all the CMI members a lot, even hiring bodyguards and security details as not to lose them to the Corp. Max finds it annoying at times, but she appreciates his heart, going as far as to doodle a scene of them having a meeting with hearts on it, despite not having feelings for him.

''"Max couldn't help but grin. She did that every time she saw Ben. He was kind of quirky. Kind of geeky. Kind of cute. He was also super intelligent and had a great heart..." -Rebels with a Cause''

"You'll have my full financial support. Anything you need, just let me know." -Ben (Rebels with a Cause)

Early Life
Ben's parents passed away when he was young, and left him a huge inheritance of billions of dollars, making Ben a young billionaire. Before he came to discover the CMI, Ben had spent his inheritance on anything he wanted, including: toys, gadgets and gizmos. But then, he wanted to do something good out of it, so he met the CMI and started funding it as a benefactor. Ben is highly intelligent but it is unknown how he received his education. He wasn't a big fan of interacting with others so he probably didn't attend a public school.

Starting the CMI
Ben, Charl, and Isabl had hired Yahav, Natan, Rifka, and Tari Kaplan. They soon recruited child members, including Klaus Kowalcyzk, Siobhan McKenna, and Max Einstein. Toma, Siobhan, Klaus, Annika, Vihaan, Tisa, and Hana all arrived before Max.

Meeting Max (at last!)
In the first book, Max Einstein: The Genius Experiment, Ben is mentioned by Charl, Isabl, and other people working for the CMI. Ms. Kaplan says that the winner of the competition for the leader of the team would meet and be congratulated by him. However, he does not make a physical appearance until near the end of the book to congratulate Max on her successful mission. He meets Max at the airport holding a sign with her name on it and gives her keys to her new apartment in New York.

Max Einstein: Rebels with a Cause
As the Corp continues to pursue Max, Ben hires bodyguards for her; Danny and Jamal. When Max runs to Mr. Kennedy in Central Park, New York, Ben appears on a screen of a tablet that Mr. Kennedy shows Max telling her to stay low and that he is planning the next mission soon. Ben appears again when Max, Siobhan, Tisa, Charl, and Isabl ran away from spies to his private jet. Ben fed them a luxurious lunch and talked about helping Siobhan and her family solve the unclean water problem. Ben calls Max and Klaus later in the book to go help Vihaan solve the water crisis in India. When Max considers quitting the team after running into problems in India, Ben tries to persuade her to stay and flies her best friends, Tisa and Siobhan, to help cheer Max up. At the end of the book, Ben meets up with Isabl and Max at a fancy buffet to eat and talk about the next mission: solving world hunger. He then shows and introduces to the two Leo and explains that he recruited him. Ben's favorite food is lobster rolls with potato chips and a pickle.