- The 20 richest people in Canada have invested in technology, media, media among other sectors of the economy
Aside from its stunning landscapes and diverse culture, Canada is also home to a cadre of immensely successful individuals who have amassed staggering fortunes.
As we delve into the financial landscapes of the Great White North, WoK explores the lives and ventures of the top 20 wealthiest Canadians.
David Thomson & family: $59.7 billion
David Thomson is a Canadian-British media magnate and the current chairman of Woodbridge Company, a holding company that controls Thomson Reuters, one of the largest global providers of news and information services.
Thomson is also the patriarch of the Thomson family, which is one of the wealthiest families in Canada. The family’s wealth is estimated to be in excess of $59.7 billion.
After graduating from Cambridge, Thompson worked for Thomson Newspapers, the family’s media empire. In 2002, he succeeded his father as chairman of Thomson Corporation.
In 2008, Thomson Corporation merged with Reuters to form Thomson Reuters.
The Thomson family’s wealth is not solely tied to the media industry. They have made savvy investments in various sectors, including energy, finance, and real estate.
This diversification has helped to protect their wealth and grow it over time.
Changpeng Zhao: $15.0 billion
He was born in China in 1977, but his family moved to Canada when he was a teenager.
He attended McGill University in Montreal, where he earned a degree in computer science.
After graduating, he worked in various technology roles, including as a software engineer for Bloomberg LP and as the head of development for Blockchain.
In 2017, Zhao founded Binance, a cryptocurrency exchange that quickly became one of the largest in the world.
Binance is now the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume.
Zhao is also the founder of the Binance Charity Foundation, which has donated millions of dollars to various causes.
David Cheriton: $11.9 billion
David Ross Cheriton is a distinguished Canadian computer scientist, businessman, philanthropist, and venture capitalist.
He is widely recognized for his contributions to the fields of distributed systems, networking, and cloud computing.
His entrepreneurial spirit led him to co-found several successful technology companies, including Granite Systems (acquired by Cisco Systems in 1996 for $220 million), Arista Networks, and Apstra.
His investment portfolio includes notable companies like Google, where he made an early bet in 1999, and Juniper Networks.
Jim Pattison: $9.7 billion
Jim Pattison is a Canadian business magnate and investor.
He is the founder and chairman of The Jim Pattison Group, one of Canada’s largest privately held companies.
Pattison’s first business was a General Motors dealership in Vancouver, British Columbia.
He quickly grew the business and expanded into other sectors, including media, packaging, and food.
Today, The Jim Pattison Group has over 250 businesses in Canada, the United States, and Europe.
The company employs over 45,000 people and generates over $10 billion in annual revenue.
Pattison has been inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame and the Canadian Marketing Hall of Fame.
He is also a recipient of the Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian honor.
Anthony Von Mandl: $9.2 billion
Anthony von Mandl is a Canadian billionaire who is the founder and chairman of Mark Anthony Brands, a beverage company that produces White Claw Hard Seltzer and Mike’s Hard Lemonade.
He is also the owner of five wineries in Canada.
Von Mandl began his career in the Canadian wine business as an importer in the 1970s.
He founded Mark Anthony Brands in 1978, and the company quickly became one of the largest wine importers in Canada.
In the 1990s, von Mandl began to focus on developing new alcoholic beverages, and he launched White Claw Hard Seltzer in 2016.
The brand quickly became a success, and it is now one of the most popular alcoholic beverages in the United States.
In addition to his business interests, von Mandl is also a passionate collector of art and wine.
He is a member of the boards of directors of several museums and cultural institutions.
Joseph Tsai: $7.5 billion
Joseph Tsai is a Taiwanese-Canadian billionaire business magnate, lawyer, and philanthropist.
He is a co-founder and chairman of the Chinese multinational technology company Alibaba Group and owns the Brooklyn Nets of the American National Basketball Association (NBA), the New York Liberty of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), the San Diego Seals of the National Lacrosse League, and has interests in several other professional sports franchises.
In 2018, Tsai acquired a 49% stake in the Brooklyn Nets NBA team. The following year, he purchased the remaining 51% of the team.
He also owns the New York Liberty WNBA team, the San Diego Seals NLL team, and has investments in several other professional sports franchises.
Alain Bouchard: $7.5 billion
Alain Bouchard is a Canadian billionaire businessman who is the co-founder and chairman of Alimentation Couche-Tard, a convenience store and gasoline station operator.
He is also the chairman of Atrium Innovations, a technology company.
Bouchard began his career as a store manager for Beckers, a convenience store chain. In 1980, he co-founded Couche-Tard with two partners.
The company quickly grew, and by 1990, it had over 1,000 stores.
In 2003, Couche-Tard acquired Circle K, a major convenience store chain in the United States.
This acquisition made Couche-Tard the largest convenience store operator in North America.
In 2017, Couche-Tard acquired CST Brands, a major convenience store and gasoline station operator in the United States.
This acquisition expanded Couche-Tard’s reach into the southeastern United States and made it the second-largest convenience store operator in the world.
Bouchard is a recipient of the Order of Canada and the Order of Quebec. He is also a member of the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.
Tobi Lutke: $6.6 billion
Tobias “Tobi” Lütke is a German-Canadian billionaire entrepreneur who is the co-founder and CEO of Shopify, a cloud-based commerce platform for small and medium-sized businesses.
He is also known for his contributions to the Ruby on Rails framework and for creating open-source libraries such as Active Merchant.
Lütke is one of the richest people in Canada, with an estimated net worth of US$11.3 billion as of November 2023.
He began coding at a young age and dropped out of high school at 16 to pursue a career in computer programming.
In 2004, Lütke co-founded Shopify with Scott Lake and Daniel Weinand.
The company quickly grew and became one of the most successful e-commerce platforms in the world.
Shopify is now used by over 1.7 million businesses in over 175 countries.
In 2018, Lütke was awarded the Meritorious Service Cross for his work in supporting the growth of the Canadian technology industry.
Chip Wilson: $6.3 billion
Dennis “Chip” Wilson is an American-Canadian billionaire and businessman, best known as the founder of Lululemon Athletica Inc., a yoga-inspired athletic apparel company.
Born in the United States, Wilson moved to Canada in the early 1980s to pursue a career in snowboarding.
He established Westbeach Snowboarding, a maker of surfing, skateboarding, and snowboard apparel, which became a successful business.
In 2000, Wilson founded Lululemon, which quickly became a popular brand among yoga practitioners and fitness enthusiasts.
The company’s signature product, the yoga pant, became a fashion staple and helped to revolutionize the athletic apparel industry.
Wilson served as CEO of Lululemon until 2005, when he stepped down to focus on other business ventures.
He has also invested in other businesses, including real estate and technology.
Arthur Irving: $5.8 billion
Arthur Lee Irving OC ONB (born 1930) is a Canadian billionaire businessman, the second son of industrialist K.C. Irving of the Irving family.
He is the owner of Irving Oil, Canada’s largest refinery.
He is also a major shareholder in Brunswick News, a media company that owns newspapers, radio stations, and television stations in the Maritime provinces of Canada.
He is also the owner of a number of other businesses, including a chain of convenience stores, a trucking company, and a construction company.
He is ranked as one of the richest people in Canada.
James Irving: $5.5 billion
James Kenneth Irving, OC, ONB (born March 20, 1928) is a Canadian billionaire businessman who is the eldest son of industrialist K.C. Irving.
James is the chairman and CEO of JD Irving Limited, a privately held company with interests in forestry, shipbuilding, transportation, retail, and energy.
The company owns over 3 million acres of timberland in Maine and eastern Canada, operates shipbuilding yards in Saint John, New Brunswick, and Halifax, Nova Scotia, and owns a chain of home improvement stores called Kent Home Improvement.
Mark Scheinberg: $5.2 billion
Mark Scheinberg is an Israeli-Canadian businessman and investor with an estimated net worth of $5.3 billion.
He is best known as the co-founder and former CEO of PokerStars, which was once the world’s largest online poker company.
Scheinberg sold his stake in PokerStars in 2014 for $3 billion and has since invested in a variety of real estate and hospitality projects.
Scheinberg co-founded PokerStars with his father, Isai, in 2001.
The company quickly became one of the most popular online poker sites in the world. In 2014, Scheinberg sold PokerStars to Amaya Gaming for $4.9 billion.
Scheinberg has invested his proceeds from the sale of PokerStars in a variety of real estate and hospitality projects.
His investment firm, Mohari Hospitality, has invested in hotels, resorts, and cruise ships around the world.
Carlo Fidani: $4.7 billion
Carlo Fidani is a Canadian billionaire businessman and philanthropist.
He is the chairman and CEO of Orlando Corporation, a Mississauga-based real estate company with interests in construction and development, and property leasing and management.
Fidani is also president of the Carlo Fidani Foundation, a charitable organization that supports a variety of causes, including healthcare, education, and the arts.
He is a member of the Order of Canada, one of Canada’s highest civilian honors, and has been recognized for his contributions to the Canadian economy and society.
Fidani is a self-made man who started working at his family’s construction company when he was a teenager.
He took over the company in 2000 after his father’s death and has since grown it into one of the largest real estate companies in Canada.
Fidani is also a passionate motorsport enthusiast.
He co-owns the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, a multi-track motorsport venue in Ontario.
Leonid Boguslavsky: $4.6 billion
Leonid Boguslavsky is a Canadian billionaire.
He is the founder of RTP Global, a venture capital firm that has invested in some of the world’s most successful technology companies, including Yandex, EPAM, Delivery Hero, RingCentral, and Datadog.
With a net worth of over $billion, Leonid has Invested in over 90 companies, including five that have become multibillion-dollar public companies.
He was named the most successful investor of the year by RBC in 2017.
Peter Gilgan: $4.4 billion
Peter Gilgan is a Canadian billionaire businessman and philanthropist.
He is the founder and CEO of Mattamy Homes, the largest privately held homebuilder in North America.
He is also a notable philanthropist, having donated over $175 million to various causes, including the SickKids Foundation.
He was named Canadian Business Person of the Year in 2008 and was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2011.
He founded Mattamy Homes in 1978 with the goal of building homes that were both affordable and stylish.
Mattamy Homes has since grown into a major player in the Canadian homebuilding industry, with over 100,000 homes built across the country.
Daryl Katz: $4.4 billion
Daryl Katz is a Canadian billionaire businessman and philanthropist.
He is the founder and chairman of the Katz Group of Companies, one of Canada’s largest privately owned enterprises, with pharmacy, sports & entertainment, and real estate development businesses.
The Katz Group owns the Edmonton Oilers, one of the most successful and valuable franchises in the NHL.
Katz led the development of Rogers Place, the Oilers’ new arena, and the Ice District, a 24-acre mixed-use development surrounding the arena.
The Ice District is now one of the most vibrant and popular destinations in Edmonton.
Katz’s net worth is estimated to be US$4.2 billion. He is one of the richest people in Canada and the wealthiest person in Alberta.
Emanuele (Lino) Saputo & family: $4.2 billion
The Saputo family is one of Canada’s wealthiest families.
Their fortune is built on Saputo Inc., a Canadian dairy company that Lino Saputo Sr. founded in 1954 with just $500.
Under Lino Saputo Sr.’s leadership, Saputo Inc. grew into a global powerhouse, with operations in over 30 countries and a portfolio of over 600 brands.
Lino Saputo Sr. passed the reins of the company to his son, Lino Saputo Jr., in 2003.
Lino Saputo Jr. has continued to expand the company’s reach, acquiring major brands like Dairylea and Morningstar Farms.
He has also focused on sustainability, making Saputo Inc. one of the world’s largest producers of lactose-free and organic dairy products.
In addition to their business success, the Saputo family is also known for their philanthropy.
They have donated millions of dollars to charitable causes, including education, health care, and social services.
The family also supports the arts, with a particular focus on Italian culture and heritage.
Garrett Camp: $4.0 billion
Garrett Camp is a Canadian billionaire entrepreneur who has founded several innovative companies, including StumbleUpon, Uber, and Eco.
Camp’s first notable venture was StumbleUpon, a social discovery website that was launched in 2003.
The site’s algorithm would recommend websites to users based on their interests, and it quickly became a popular tool for discovering new content.
StumbleUpon was acquired by eBay in 2007 for $75 million.
In 2009, Camp co-founded Uber, a ride-hailing company that revolutionized the way people get around cities.
Uber’s mobile app allows users to request a ride from a nearby driver, and it has become one of the most valuable companies in the world.
Camp’s share of Uber ownership is estimated to be worth billions of dollars.
In addition to StumbleUpon and Uber, Camp has also founded several other companies, including Eco, a social network for environmental activism; ZEIT, a news app; and Expa, a business incubator.
He is also a co-founder of the Giving Pledge, a commitment to give away half of one’s wealth to charity.
Bob Gaglardi: $3.7 billion
Bob Gaglardi is a Canadian billionaire businessman who is the chairman and CEO of Northland Properties.
He has a net worth of $3.6 billion as of September 2023.
In 1963, Gaglardi founded Northland Properties with a $5,000 loan.
The company initially focused on building and operating motels, but it has since expanded into other businesses, including hotels, restaurants, retail, and sports teams.
Northland Properties is one of the largest hotel chains in Canada.
The company operates over 100 hotels under the Sandman Signature, Sandman Hotels, Sandman Signature Select, and Coast Hotels brands.
Gaglardi is also a significant investor in the sports industry. He and his son, Tom, purchased the Dallas Stars NHL team in 2011.
The team has won the Stanley Cup twice under Gaglardi’s ownership.
Jacques D’Amours: $3.6 billion
Jacques D’Amours is a Canadian billionaire businessman who co-founded the convenience store chain Couche-Tard.
He is the second-largest shareholder in the company, with a net worth of $3.4 billion as of 2023.
Couche-Tard is the world’s largest convenience store chain, with over 14,000 stores in 14 countries. The company has grown rapidly in recent years, through a series of acquisitions.
In 2017, Couche-Tard acquired Holiday Stationstores, a Minnesota-based convenience store chain, for $1.6 billion.
The acquisition made Couche-Tard the largest convenience store chain in the United States.
D’Amours’s wealth comes from his ownership of Couche-Tard stock. He has been a significant shareholder in the company since its inception, and his shares have appreciated signD’Amours is a highly respected businessman.
He has been named one of Canada’s Top CEOs by Maclean’s magazine and one of the world’s 100 most powerful business leaders by Forbes magazine.
In 2017, D’Amours was inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.
