Richest People in Canada: Inside the Fortunes Powering Media, Tech, and Crypto
A clear breakdown of the richest people in Canada, covering net Worth, industries, global rivals, and philanthropy. See who leads, how they built their fortunes, and why Canadian billionaire wealth keeps growing.
Canada packs a serious punch when it comes to big money. Right now, the richest people in Canada control a combined $359 billion, which is more than the entire economy of some countries. That figure is up from last year, driven by continued momentum in tech, crypto, and long-established family businesses.
Changpeng Zhao tops the list at $62.9 billion from his Binance crypto empire, even after time in prison tied to compliance issues. The Thomson family follows close behind, with Sherry Brydson holding $16.7 billion through media giant Thomson Reuters. Names like David Cheriton, who placed an early bet on Google, and Shopify boss Tobi Lütke round out the upper ranks.
These fortunes were built, or inherited, across industries ranging from e-commerce to retail giants like Couche-Tard. Canada now counts 76 billionaires, ranking sixth globally. In this article, we look at the top 15 richest people in Canada, their stories, homes, industries, and more.
Canada’s Billionaire Ecosystem
Canada is now home to 76 billionaires, ranking sixth globally. Together, they control $359 billion in wealth, up 14% from last year. Much of this money sits in a few key provinces, with Ontario firmly in the lead. More than half of the country’s billionaires are based there, including members of the Thomson dynasty, whose influence is rooted in Toronto’s media and information sector.
British Columbia follows next, powered mainly by Vancouver-based fortunes. Business leaders like Jim Pattison and Lululemon founder Chip Wilson have helped turn the province into a hub for retail, real estate, and long-term investment wealth.
Quebec holds a strong position of its own, thanks to retail heavyweights such as Alain Bouchard of Couche-Tard, whose convenience store empire spans multiple continents. Alberta and Saskatchewan contribute fewer names but remain important, primarily driven by resource-based wealth and diversified holdings tied to energy, land, and infrastructure.
Key Industries
→ Media and Telecom: This remains the backbone of Canada’s billionaire wealth. The Thomson family dominates the category, with multiple members holding fortunes between $10 billion and $16 billion. Their strength comes from long-term ownership of media, data, and financial information businesses that continue to generate steady returns.
→ Technology: Tech wealth in Canada is built less on hype and more on execution. David Cheriton turned a quiet early investment in Google into a $14.3 billion fortune, while Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke built $8.9 billion by helping merchants sell directly to customers online.
→ Crypto and Finance: Crypto sits at the top of the list. Changpeng Zhao’s $78.8 billion fortune places him far ahead of every other Canadian billionaire. The sector moves fast, carries risk, and attracts scrutiny, but when it works, it creates wealth at a scale no other industry in Canada currently matches.
→ Retail: Retail billionaires focus on scale and consistency. Alain Bouchard’s Couche-Tard empire shows how convenience stores, when expanded globally, can become one of the country’s most powerful wealth engines.
→ Conglomerates and Real Estate: Some fortunes are spread across multiple sectors rather than tied to a single product. Figures like Jim Pattison built wealth through private companies, real estate holdings, and long-term investments that grow steadily over decades.
The 15 Richest People in Canada Driving Billionaire Wealth
The table below lists the richest people in Canada, ranked by estimated net worth, along with their age, residence, primary industry, and key source of wealth. Each entry offers a quick snapshot, followed by detailed profiles that explain how these fortunes were built and where they stand today.
1. Changpeng Zhao
Source – fortune.com
Age: 48
Residence/Province: Dubai (originally Vancouver, BC)
Net Worth: $78.8 billion
Industry: Crypto
Key Fact: Built Binance into the world’s top exchange despite legal battles.
Changpeng Zhao sits at the top of the list of the richest people in Canada. Born in China, he moved to Canada as a teenager and later studied computer science at McGill University. His early career was rooted in traditional tech roles, writing code for the Tokyo Stock Exchange and later working at Bloomberg, before he shifted focus to crypto in 2013.
In 2017, he launched Binance through a fast-moving coin offering that raised $15 million. The exchange expanded rapidly, helped by low trading fees and a wide range of digital assets. Binance soon became the largest crypto platform by trading volume.
Zhao stepped down as CEO in late 2023 after U.S. regulators fined the company over money laundering violations. He served four months in prison but returned with his wealth largely intact. His ownership stake in Binance and holdings in BNB tokens continue to support his massive fortune. Now based in Dubai, he remains an influential figure in the crypto space, even without a formal executive role.
2. Sherry Brydson
Source – elevateicons.com
Age: ~74
Residence/Province: Toronto, ON
Net Worth: $16.7 billion
Industry: Media
Key Fact: Holds the most significant single share in the family media empire.
Sherry Brydson has never chased attention, yet her financial footprint runs deep through global media. She was born into the Thomson family, whose rise began with newspapers and expanded into one of the most influential information businesses in the world. Her grandfather, Roy Thomson, built the early foundation through Thomson Newspapers, and later generations pushed into financial data, legal research, and professional services.
Brydson emerged as the largest individual shareholder in Woodbridge Company, the private holding firm that controls Thomson Reuters. That ownership gives her exposure to steady revenue streams tied to law, tax, accounting, and global news operations. While others in the family have taken public-facing roles, she has remained largely out of view, letting the assets do the work.
Based in Toronto, she lives quietly and avoids public appearances. There are no major acquisitions tied directly to her name, no public leadership roles, and little media commentary. Her wealth grows through long-term control rather than active dealmaking, anchored in businesses that serve governments, corporations, and professionals worldwide.
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3. David Cheriton
Source – n24.com.tr
Age: 74
Residence/Province: Palo Alto, CA (roots in British Columbia)
Net Worth: $14.3 billion
Industry: Tech
Key Fact: Turned a $100,000 Google investment into billions.
David Cheriton’s fortune traces back to intellect and timing rather than spectacle. Raised in British Columbia, he later graduated from the University of Waterloo and went on to teach computer science at Stanford. Alongside his academic work, he quietly invested in early-stage technology ventures while Silicon Valley was still finding its footing.
In 1999, he invested $100,000 in a search engine project run by two graduate students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. That single decision became one of the most successful early tech investments ever, multiplying into billions as Google grew into a global giant. He retained shares over the years, allowing compounding to do the heavy lifting.
Now based in Palo Alto, he continues backing infrastructure-focused technology companies, including Arista Networks, which supplies cloud networking hardware. He avoids public attention and lives modestly compared to peers with similar net Worth. His path reflects how deep technical knowledge and patience can translate into extreme wealth, earning him a place among the richest people in Canada through insight rather than visibility.
4. Joseph Tsai
Source – bloomberg.com
Age: 61
Residence/Province: Hong Kong (Canadian citizen)
Net Worth: $12.1 billion
Industry: E-commerce
Key Fact: Co-founded Alibaba and owned the Brooklyn Nets.
Joseph Tsai’s rise sits at the intersection of law, technology, and global commerce. Educated at Yale, where he earned both undergraduate and law degrees, he began his career at Intel before relocating to Hong Kong in 1999. That move placed him at the right moment to meet Jack Ma and help build Alibaba from a small online marketplace into a dominant digital commerce platform.
Tsai played a key role in shaping Alibaba’s legal and financial structure, securing early funding and guiding the company through its expansion. When Alibaba went public in 2014, its ownership stake became the core of its wealth. Over time, that value continued to grow as Alibaba expanded its cloud services and digital payments businesses.
As a Canadian citizen, he later stepped into sports ownership, purchasing the Brooklyn Nets and overseeing the construction of their arena. While he now spends most of his time in Asia, his investments span technology, finance, and sports through private family offices. This trajectory places him firmly among the richest people in Canada, driven by scale, timing, and long-term ownership.
5. Jim Pattison
Source – dailyhive.com
Age: 96
Residence/Province: Vancouver, BC
Net Worth: $12.1 billion
Industry: Conglomerate
Key Fact: Still runs a 20-business empire at 96.
Jim Pattison’s story begins far from boardrooms and balance sheets. Born into poverty in Winnipeg, he dropped out of college and moved west, starting by selling cars in Vancouver. What followed was decades of steady expansion, reinvesting profits into new industries while tightly holding control.
By the 1960s, he owned multiple dealerships and began acquiring businesses in food distribution, advertising, packaging, and media. Over time, the Jim Pattison Group grew into a privately held empire spanning groceries, seafood, toys, logistics, and entertainment, including Ripley’s Believe It or Not museums.
Even at 96, Pattison remains actively involved, showing up at the office and staying engaged with operations. While he maintains a low public profile in Vancouver, he enjoys luxury privately, including yacht ownership. His fortune reflects disciplined buying, long-term ownership, and hands-on leadership, placing him among the richest people in Canada without reliance on inheritance or speculative trends.
6. David Thomson
Source – financialpost.com
Age: ~68
Residence/Province: Toronto, ON
Net Worth: $10.2 billion
Industry: Media
Key Fact: Chairman of Thomson Reuters, the family flagship.
David Thomson grew up inside one of Canada’s most influential business families and eventually took control of its core operations. The Thomson fortune began with newspapers, but under his leadership, it matured into a global information business serving professionals across law, finance, and taxation. After his father’s passing, David assumed a leading role at Woodbridge Company, the private holding firm that controls Thomson Reuters.
As chairman, he oversees a business that supplies critical data and news to governments, corporations, and institutions worldwide. The acquisition of Reuters years earlier cemented the company’s global reach and created long-term revenue stability. Rather than chasing expansion through constant deals, the focus has remained on maintaining dominance in essential information services.
Based in Toronto, Thomson avoids public visibility and prefers private interests such as art collecting and rare books. While his siblings hold equal financial stakes, he leads the strategic direction of the family empire. Careful stewardship and conservative management continue to keep the business profitable year after year.
7. Taylor Thomson
Source – nationalpost.com
Age: ~66
Residence/Province: Toronto, ON
Net Worth: $10.2 billion
Industry: Media
Key Fact: Switched from acting to family investments.
Taylor Thomson followed an unconventional path before stepping fully into the family business. Early in life, she pursued acting and spent time in the film industry, later marrying into British nobility. Over time, responsibility pulled her back toward the Thomson family holdings, where she took on an active role within Woodbridge Company.
She now sits on the board overseeing Thomson Reuters alongside her brothers, holding a stake equal to theirs. The fortune she manages is rooted in generations of media ownership, reinforced by global demand for professional data and news services. While personal life events shaped her trajectory, her focus today stays firmly on preserving and managing family assets.
Splitting time between Toronto and London, she maintains a global outlook while keeping her involvement discreet. Art collecting occupies much of her life outside boardrooms. Family alignment remains strong, with no major divisions in control, securing her standing among the richest people in Canada through shared ownership and long-term continuity.
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8. Peter Thomson
Source – commons.wikimedia.org
Age: ~66
Residence/Province: Toronto, ON
Net Worth: $10.2 billion
Industry: Media
Key Fact: Co-chairs Woodbridge with brother David.
Peter Thomson works alongside his brother David to guide the Thomson family’s holdings. While Thomson Reuters remains the centerpiece, his responsibilities extend beyond media into real estate and diversified investments held under Woodbridge Company. This broader focus helps spread risk while reinforcing the family’s control over long-term assets.
Raised within the family enterprise, Peter was prepared early for stewardship rather than for public leadership. He has played a key role in managing property investments across Canada and internationally, contributing to steady growth outside the media business. These holdings have gained value over time, adding depth to the family portfolio.
Toronto serves as his base for overseeing operations, though he keeps a low profile and avoids press attention. Decisions are made quietly, with emphasis on durability rather than rapid expansion. Together with his siblings, he helps maintain tight control and continuity across the family’s wealth.
9. Tobi Lütke
Source – startuparchive.org
Age: 44
Residence/Province: Ottawa, ON
Net Worth: $8.9 billion
Industry: E-commerce
Key Fact: CEO of Shopify, the online store builder.
Tobi Lütke built Shopify by solving a personal problem. Born in Germany, he moved to Canada and taught himself programming while running a snowboard business. Frustrated with existing e-commerce tools, he created his own platform in 2006 to make it easier to sell products online. That project evolved into Shopify, now used by millions of merchants worldwide.
The company grew rapidly as online shopping expanded, eventually listing on public markets and making Lütke a billionaire through his ownership stake. Shopify became central to small and medium businesses seeking direct-to-consumer sales, especially during periods of rapid digital adoption.
Based in Ottawa, where Shopify is headquartered, Lütke remains closely involved in product development and engineering decisions. He continues pushing new tools, including AI-driven features, to keep the platform competitive. His rise reflects how software-driven businesses can scale quickly, placing him among the richest people in Canada through innovation rather than inheritance.
10. Linda Campbell
Source – revolutionparty.ca
Age: ~69
Residence/Province: Toronto, ON
Net Worth: $8.0 billion
Industry: Media
Key Fact: Thomson family heir who keeps a low profile.
Linda Campbell holds a significant share of the Thomson family fortune while remaining largely out of public view. Raised within the same business tradition as her siblings, she inherited her stake through Woodbridge Company, which controls Thomson Reuters and related investments. Her financial position mirrors that of her sister Gaye Farncombe, built on equal ownership rather than operational leadership.
She sits on Woodbridge boards and participates in family oversight of significant assets, focusing on preservation rather than expansion. Unlike more visible billionaires, she has avoided public projects, interviews, or high-profile acquisitions, choosing privacy instead.
Toronto remains her home base, where she maintains a quiet routine centered on family governance and long-term investment decisions. Regular dividends from core holdings continue to support her wealth. Stability and discretion define her role within the Thomson empire.
11. Gaye Farncombe
Source – beinsure.com
Age: ~68
Residence/Province: UK/Canada
Net Worth: $8.0 billion
Industry: Media
Key Fact: Thomson has sisters with homes on both sides of the Atlantic.
Gaye Farncombe divides her time between the United Kingdom and Canada, reflecting the international reach of the family fortune behind her wealth. Like her siblings, her stake comes from the Thomson media holdings controlled through Woodbridge Company. Raised in Toronto, she grew up around the business long before it evolved into a global provider of professional information services.
She serves on family boards and remains involved in oversight of Thomson Reuters, which delivers news, legal research, and data tools worldwide. Her role focuses on continuity rather than daily operations, ensuring the business remains aligned with long-term goals rather than short-term shifts.
Farncombe keeps a low public profile, avoiding media attention and public dealmaking. Her ownership stake matches that of her sister Linda, reflecting equal distribution within the family. Living across two countries allows her to stay close to both her family roots and international interests while the core business continues to generate steady returns. As one of the wealthiest people in Canada, her position underscores the enduring power of legacy media in the digital age.
12. Chip Wilson
Source – bloomberg.com
Age: 68
Residence/Province: Vancouver, BC
Net Worth: $6.8 billion
Industry: Retail
Key Fact: Founded Lululemon and pushed yoga wear mainstream.
Chip Wilson built his fortune by turning athletic clothing into a global lifestyle business. He founded Lululemon in Vancouver, focusing on comfortable, high-quality yoga and fitness apparel. What began as a niche concept quickly expanded into a worldwide brand as demand for athleisure surged.
Under his leadership, Lululemon grew from a small retail operation into an international company with stores across major markets. Although he later stepped away as chairman following disagreements over company direction, his early ownership stake continued to grow in value as sales and brand reach expanded.
Based in Vancouver, Wilson remains active as an investor, putting money into real estate, wellness, and health-related ventures. He is more outspoken than many of his peers, often sharing his views on business and fitness publicly. His retail success secures his place among the richest people in Canada through brand creation rather than inherited wealth.
13. Alain Bouchard
Source – corporate.couche-tard.com
Age: 76
Residence/Province: Montreal, QC
Net Worth: $6.6 billion
Industry: Retail
Key Fact: Built Couche-Tard into a North American convenience store giant.
Alain Bouchard transformed a single convenience store into one of the largest retail networks in North America. He founded Couche-Tard in Quebec in the early 1980s and grew it by steadily acquiring competitors across Canada and the United States. The expansion later included Circle K, which became a central driver of profits.
Bouchard focused on scale, logistics, and everyday consumer demand, turning fuel, snacks, and essentials into a high-volume business. Over the decades, those small transactions added up, creating a retail empire with tens of thousands of locations worldwide. As one of the wealthiest people in Canada, he has demonstrated how consistent, strategic growth in the retail sector can rival the fortunes made in tech or finance.
Montreal remains his base, close to the company’s headquarters. Although he has stepped back from day-to-day executive duties, he continues as chairman and remains involved in major decisions. His rise reflects disciplined expansion rather than flashy innovation, built from modest beginnings into sustained wealth.
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14. Peter Gilgan
Source – theglobeandmail.com
Age: 74
Residence/Province: Toronto, ON
Net Worth: $6.4 billion
Industry: Real Estate
Key Fact: Leads Mattamy Homes, Canada’s top homebuilder.
Peter Gilgan built his wealth by focusing on housing at scale. He founded Mattamy Homes in Toronto and grew it into the country’s largest homebuilder by concentrating on suburban developments and efficient construction. As demand increased, the company expanded into the United States, further boosting revenue.
Thousands of homes sold each year form the backbone of his fortune, tied closely to population growth and housing demand. Rather than diversifying widely, Gilgan stayed focused on residential construction, refining operations, and controlling costs over decades.
Toronto remains his base of operations, where he stays closely involved in the business. Alongside commercial success, he is known for major philanthropic contributions, particularly to children’s hospitals. His steady approach to real estate places him among the wealthiest people in Canada through consistency rather than speculation.
15. Stuart Hoegner
Source – cryptotimes.io
Age: ~50s
Residence/Province: Toronto, ON
Net Worth: $6.2 billion
Industry: Crypto
Key Fact: General counsel stake in Tether stablecoin powerhouse.
Stuart Hoegner entered the crypto space through law rather than technology. With a background in financial regulation and compliance, he became general counsel for Tether, the company behind the USDT stablecoin. That role placed him at the center of one of the most widely used digital assets in global trading.
As USDT became a key tool for moving funds across crypto markets, Hoegner’s equity stake rose sharply in value. The stablecoin’s role in providing liquidity made it foundational to exchanges and traders, even as the sector faced scrutiny and controversy.
Based in Toronto, he maintains a low profile compared to more public crypto figures. His focus remains on legal structure and compliance as the industry matures. His wealth reflects how legal expertise, paired with early entry into digital finance, can produce outsized returns without public visibility.
Global Rivals
Canada’s wealthiest figures stack up well against some of the biggest names worldwide. Changpeng Zhao’s $62.9 billion fortune from Binance places him in the same conversation as Elon Musk, especially around digital assets. While Musk commands a broader empire through Tesla and SpaceX, Zhao’s wealth is more tightly concentrated around crypto exchanges and trading infrastructure. The scope differs, but both took outsized bets on emerging tech that changed global markets.
Sherry Brydson and the Thomson family, with individual fortunes of $16.7 billion and $10.2 billion, draw natural comparisons to Rupert Murdoch and his grip on global media. The key difference lies in the business mix. While Murdoch’s empire leans heavily on news and broadcasting, the Thomsons generate steadier income through data, legal, and financial tools via Thomson Reuters, avoiding the constant volatility of headline-driven media battles.
David Cheriton fits alongside early tech financiers like Peter Thiel. Both made early bets on transformational platforms, though Cheriton’s wealth remains closely tied to Google shares, offering a more focused exposure than Thiel’s broader venture portfolio.
Joseph Tsai’s career parallels that of Jack Ma, his longtime Alibaba partner. Both helped scale e-commerce across Asia, though Tsai later diversified into sports ownership and private investments while maintaining strong ties to Alibaba’s core business.
Jim Pattison’s sprawling private empire invites comparison to Warren Buffett. Like Berkshire Hathaway, the Jim Pattison Group spans multiple sectors, including retail and food distribution, as well as entertainment and advertising. The difference lies in structure: Pattison keeps everything privately held, while Buffett operates through public markets, a contrast that highlights how the wealthiest people in Canada often build influence without relying on public-market visibility.
Philanthropy and Legacies
The wealthiest people in Canada often give back in ways tied closely to their businesses and personal interests. Changpeng Zhao supports blockchain education and refugee aid through Binance Charity, while Jim Pattison has donated over $100 million to Vancouver General Hospital and BC Children’s Hospital.
The Thomson family focuses on culture and education. David Thomson funds art museums and Toronto galleries, and Sherry Brydson backs literacy programs linked to their media roots. Joseph Tsai invests in sports infrastructure and youth scholarships after selling his stake in the Nets, while Tobi Lütke channels funding through the Shopify Foundation to support tech training and entrepreneurship.
Chip Wilson directs money toward fitness research and ocean cleanups, Alain Bouchard supports Quebec food banks, and Peter Gilgan’s contributions to SickKids Hospital have reached nine figures. Together, these efforts shape long-term legacies, with family offices increasingly managing philanthropy for future generations.
Conclusion
Canada’s billionaire class reflects a balance between legacy wealth and modern risk-taking. Media families like the Thomsons continue to earn steady returns from data and information services, while newer fortunes in tech, e-commerce, and crypto highlight how quickly capital can scale when execution and timing align. From convenience stores and homebuilding to global trading platforms, these fortunes come from different paths but share a focus on long-term control.
What stands out about the richest people in Canada is how quietly much of this wealth operates. Many avoid public attention, relying instead on private ownership, disciplined expansion, and careful succession planning. As industries shift and leadership moves to the next generation, these fortunes are positioned to remain influential without chasing headlines.
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