Insanely rich Canadians
Who are they and how did they make their fortune?
You've probably heard or read that Canada has a strong economy and is also the new Mecca for startups. Did you know that 63 of the richest people in the world live in Canada? We rounded up the top insanely rich Canadians and found out how they made their billions.
1. Sherry Brydson
Fortune according to Bloomberg: CAD 19.3 billion (USD 14.5 billion).
The richest person in Canada and one of the wealthiest women in the world is Sherry Brydson. She is among the heirs of the Thomson family, a clan of Canadian media tycoons. In 1934, their great-grandfather founded his first newspaper in Canada. Since then they have owned many Canadian and British media, as well as investor companies.
Sherry not only owns 23% of the clan's assets, but is also an active entrepreneur. She owns a Thai restaurant, a spa, and her own investment company, Westerkirk Capital.
Sherry usually remains in the shadows, and Canadians themselves know little about her. However, she is known to support Canadian artists, invest millions of dollars in local museums, advocate for the preservation of indigenous culture, and build shelters for women who have been subjected to domestic violence.
2. Changpen Zhao
Fortune according to Bloomberg: CAD 14.1 billion (USD 10.5 billion).
This man doesn't really need an introduction. He is the founder of Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange. It also has the largest number of licenses worldwide and operates absolutely legally.
Zhao graduated from McGill University, where he studied programming and computer science. He started his legendary business in 2017.
3. Jim Pattison
Fortune according to Bloomberg: CAD 12.7 billion (USD 9.5 billion).
This smiling old man, who looks like a leprechaun from Irish fairy tales, is a classic businessman, investor and philanthropist. He made his fortune in food and transportation: he owns large car dealerships, supermarkets, greenhouses, fishing farms, and more. His story began in 1961, when he first started serving cars. Since then he has been terribly successful in business.
4. David Cheriton
Fortune according to Bloomberg: CAD 12.1 billion (USD 9 billion).
He is a scientist who does programming and teaches at a university. He owes his fortune to luck and calculation: when Google was a very young company, he invested a generous CAD 100,000. He also created three successful IT projects, which he then sold.
5. Anthony von Mandl
Bloomberg's fortune: CAD 12.1 billion (USD 9 billion).
This man is the largest producer and seller of alcohol in Canada. This enterprising man began his journey in Vancouver, where he sold imported wine directly from his car.
6-8. Taylor, David and Peter Thomson
Status according to Bloomberg: CAD 11.9 billion (USD 8.9 billion) for each sibling.
These two brothers and sister are the direct heirs of their legendary great-grandfather, Roy, who bought the first newspaper in Ontario in the early 20th century. They own Reuters, the Globe and Mail and The Bell. They also own an investing company called Woodbridge. Taylor is a woman. The siblings all develop additional companies in different areas of business. And David, as the eldest man in the family, carries the title Baron Fleet, which was inherited by his ancestors from the British Crown.
9. Joseph Tsai
Fortune according to Bloomberg: CAD 10.2 billion (USD 7.6 billion).
He is a Taiwanese-born Canadian who co-founded the Alibaba Group. Yes, this group of companies owns the beloved Taobao and Aliexpress stores. Tsai is now the group's CFO. He has held executive positions in the group for 20 years.
10. Linda Campbell
Fortune according to Bloomberg: CAD 9.4 billion (USD 7 billion).
This is another member of the Thomson clan. There are 7 direct descendants of Roy Thomson. This woman owns 11% of the clan's investments. She prefers to live in the shadows, communicates little with the press, and invests mainly in promising businesses. She has no firms of her own and prefers to be a venture capitalist.
Do you want to put your name on the list of Canada's richest people? It's possible: Maple Leaf Country offers many business opportunities. Find out how to become an entrepreneur in Canada in our article on business immigration.
