CEOWORLD Magazine yesterday released its Canada Rich List Index for 2020, ranking the wealthiest Canadians this year. As you might expect, the list includes some familiar names for British Columbians.
The financial publication found that the combined wealth of the top 46 Canadian billionaires this year hit a new record high of $185.2 billion U.S. dollars.
Topping the list by a sizeable margin again this year is Toronto-based David Thomson, chair of global media company Thomson Reuters Corp., with a net worth of $39.5 billion.
He is followed by Joseph Tsai, vice chairman and co-founder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. —and owner of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets—in the number two spot. CEOWORLD says Tsai, who splits his time between San Diego and Hong Kong, has a net worth at $13.8 billion, up from $10.2 billion last year.
Tobi Lutke, the CEO of Ottawa-based e-commerce giant Shopify, claims the third spot on the list this year with a net worth of $9 billion, overtaking Galen Weston and family, who fell to the fourth spot with their $8.3 billion fortune. Clearly, 2020 has been kind to Lutke and his e-commerce platform: in 2019, he was listed as the 16th richest Canadian with a previous net worth of $2.9 billion.
Several British Columbians appear in the top 20 listed names again this year, including Vancouver-born and UBC-educated David Cheriton in fifth place. Cheriton, whose net worth is listed at $6.8 billion, is a computer scientist, mathematician, businessman, philanthropist, and venture capitalist, who was one of the earliest investors in Google. He currently works as a professor of computer science at Stanford University.
Lululemon founder Chip Wilson retains his ninth-place ranking this year, with his net worth growing to $5.5 billion, up from $4.6 billion as reported on last year's list.
Jim Pattison, the Saskatoon-born, Vancouver-based business magnate, investor and philanthropist rounds out the top 10. The 92-year-old currently holds the position of chief executive officer, chairman and sole owner of the Jim Pattison Group, one of Canada's largest privately-held companies. He was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 2018, in addition to his prior appointment to the Order of Canada in 1987 and the Order of British Columbia in 1990.
Anthony von Mandl's name appears on the list as the 13th wealthiest Canadian. The B.C. billionaire responsible for establishing Mission Hill Family Estate winery in Kelowna, as well as Mark Anthony Brands International—the company responsible for founding both Mike's Hard Lemonade Co. and White Claw Hard Seltzer—is reported to be worth $4.4 billion.
Vancouver-based Northland Properties Corporation's founder and chairman Bob Gaglardi earned 19th place with a net worth of $2.7 billion. The corporation, which began with the first Sandman Inn in Smithers in 1967, serves as the parent company of numerous hotel chains, restaurants—including chains Denny's, Moxie's, Shark Club and Chop, among others—in addition to sports teams like the NHL's Dallas Stars and WHL's Kamloops Blazers, as well as the Northland Asset Management Company. Northland Properties is also the sole owner of Revelstoke Mountain Resort, adding to its portfolio of ski resorts with the purchase of Grouse Mountain Resort in January of this year.
CEOWORLD says it reviewed numerous national and international media reports in order to compile the 2020 list. Scroll down to see how the remaining Canadian billionaires fared this year.
