Many billionaires and millionaires who live in Canada are among the list of the top 100 richest families in Canada. This includes the Saputo family, who own a dairy empire, and the Thompson family, who own a media and publishing empire.
This article covers the top 10 richest families in Canada, who they are, and how they became billionaires.
Who Are the Top 10 Richest Families in Canada?
These are the top 10 wealthiest Canadian individuals and families, according to Forbes’ The World’s Billionaires listing.
| Name | Net Worth (USD) | Source of Wealth |
| David Thomson & family | $51.3 billion | Media |
| Jim Pattison | $11.2 billion | Diversified |
| David Cheriton | $9.4 billion | |
| Anthony von Mandl | $9.2 billion | Alcoholic beverages |
| Joseph Tsai | $8.2 billion | E-commerce |
| Mark Scheinberg | $5.3 billion | Online gambling |
| Lino Saputo & family | $4.9 billion | Cheese |
| Huang Chulong | $4.4 billion | Real estate |
| Pan Dong | $3.4 billion | Consumer goods |
| Tobi Lutke | $3.2 billion | E-commerce |
Most of the billionaire families on this list have made their fortune through one main person, but their family is either involved in business operations or is rich by association.
Who are these Canadian billionaires, and how did they get rich?
1. David Thompson & Family
David Thompson and his family own a media and publishing empire called Thomspon Reuters, which was inherited and founded by his grandfather, Roy Thompson.
The family holds more than 320 million company shares, where David Thompson is chairman.
The family also owns the Globe and Mail newspaper and a stake in Bell Canada.
2. Jim Pattison
Jim Pattison is the CEO, chairman, and sole owner of the Jim Pattison Group, Canada’s second-largest privately-owned company. It has over 45,000 employees worldwide and more than $10 billion in annual sales.
Jim Pattison Group operates 25 divisions, including food, packaging, and entertainment.
His entertainment division includes Great Wolf Lodge, Guinness World Records, and Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! chain. He also controls over 40% of the company Canfor.
3. David Cheriton
David Cheriton is a computer scientist, philanthropist, mathematician, venture capitalist, and billionaire businessman.
He teaches computer science at Stanford University, where he leads the Distributed Systems Group.
David was one of the first angel investors in Google, where he and a friend each invested $100,000 in the company when it was just getting started.
He also co-founded Arista Networks, Granite Systems, and Kealia.
4. Anthony von Mandl
Anthony von Mandl created the popular alcoholic beverages Mike’s Hard Lemonade and White Claw Hard Seltzer through his Mark Anthony Brands.
He got started in the Canadian wine business as an importer in the 1970s, and now owns 5 wineries in Canada.
Anthony is credited as a major factor behind the growth and elevation of Canada’s wine and alcoholic beverages sector.
5. Joseph Tsai
Joseph Tsai is the co-founder and vice chairman of Alibaba Group, a Chinese multinational technology company.
Out of 18 co-founders, he established Alibaba’s legal and financial structure and eventually became executive vice chairman. He is the second-largest individual shareholder of Alibaba.
Joseph also owns the Brooklyn Nets National Basketball Association team, the New York Liberty of the Women’s National Basketball Association, and the San Diego Seals of the National Lacrosse League.
6. Mark Scheinberg
In 2001, Mark Scheinberg cofounded PokerStars with his father, Isai Scheinberg. When he was CEO, PokerStars became the world’s largest online poker business, hosting the world’s largest online tournaments.
He has also invested in real estate and luxury hospitality assets, like a luxury resort in Costa Rica and a stake in the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.
7. Lino Saputo & Family
From 1969 to 2017, Lino Saputo chaired his family’s dairy company, Saputo Inc. Lino’s father, Giuseppe, founded the business in 1954 with just $500 after coming to Canada from Sicily.
Lino Saputo inherited the business and grew the company in the following decades.
His son, Lino Jr., succeeded him as chairman and has been the president and CEO of Saputo Inc. since 2004.
8. Huang Chulong
Huang Chulong is Chairman of Galaxy Group, a privately held business based in Shenzhen, China. He holds 85% of the shares in the company.
Galaxy Group real estate spans shopping malls, office leasing, hotels, real estate development, and parking lot operation.
9. Pan Dong
Pan Dong is chairman of the Blu Moon Group, a major supplier of liquid detergent and soap. She is the wife of Blue Moon’s founder and CEO, Luo Qiuping.
Formed in 1992, Blue Moon has over 8,000 employees and is China’s top supplier of liquid soap.
Thanks to Blue Moon’s IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Pan is now one of China’s richest people. She owns 77% of the company.
10. Tobi Lutke
Tobi Lutke is the CEO and co-founder of Shopify, a Canadian e-commerce company based in Ottawa, Ontario.
In 2004, he and his two partners opened an online snowboard shop with a new e-commerce platform that Tobi built called Ruby on Rails.
Soon after, they shifted their focus to Shopify, which launched in 2006 and went public in 2005.
Tobi currently owns 7% of the company.
FAQs
The Thompson family is the richest family in Toronto, with a current net worth of $51.3 billion.
The Walton family is the richest family in the world, with an estimated combined wealth of $244 billion. Their collective fortune derived from Walmart. Sam Walton was the founder of Walmart and Sam’s Club.
The average annual salary in Canada is $75,000 to $100,000. If you make more than $100,000 per year, you are considered rich.
There is not one most famous Canadian person, as it varies based on who you’re talking to. Some famous Canadians include Justin Trudeau, Seth Rogan, Michael Cera, Shania Twain, and Justin Beiber.
The richest family in Montreal is the Saputo family, with a net worth of $4.9 billion.
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