List of Canadians by net worth
The following compilation of Canadians ranked by net worth features the wealthiest individuals and families in Canada, as identified by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index and The World's Billionaires list published by Forbes. In addition to Bloomberg and Forbes, various other entities also monitor the fortunes of high-net-worth persons and families.
List of Canadians by net worth
Multiple sources, such as Bloomberg and Forbes, publish lists ranking the richest people worldwide based on their net worth. However, discrepancies arise between these rankings due to differences in currency conversions and valuation approaches.
In November 2017, Canadian Business reported there were over 100 billionaires in Canada when their wealth was calculated in Canadian dollar. This contrasts with the counts from Forbes and Bloomberg, which assess net worth in United States dollar, resulting in variations in both the number of billionaires and their estimated wealth.
Some affluent Canadians holding several citizenships, including Elon Musk, who possesses Canadian citizenship alongside others, might be omitted or classified differently in these rankings. Both Bloomberg and Forbes list Musk as American despite his Canadian nationality.[1] [2]
Bloomberg
Bloomberg L.P. publishes the Bloomberg Billionaires Index daily, presenting a ranking of the world’s richest individuals based on net worth, updated at New York market close. The index offers a Top 500 list available online, which includes Canadians ranked according to country or region as of .[3]
| World Rank |
Canadian Rank |
Name | Net Worth (USD) | Sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | 1 | Template:Sortname | $37.9 billion | Finance |
| 101 | 2 | Template:Sortname | $19.7 billion | Media & Telecom |
| 178 | 3 | Template:Sortname | $12.2 billion | Media & Telecom |
| Taylor Thomson | $12.2 billion | Media & Telecom | ||
| Template:Sortname | $12.2 billion | Media & Telecom | ||
| 262 | 6 | Linda Campbell | $9.57 billion | Media & Telecom |
| Gaye Farncombe | $9.57 billion | Media & Telecom | ||
| 267 | 8 | Template:Sortname | $9.37 billion | Technology |
| 367 | 9 | Template:Sortname | $7.29 billion | Retail |
| 408 | 10 | Template:Sortname | $6.75 billion | Media & Telecom |
| 476 | 11 | Template:Sortname | $6.12 billion | Retail |
| 488 | 12 | Template:Sortname | $5.92 billion | Technology |
Forbes
The annual The World's Billionaires ranking by Forbes (dated March 10, 2023) evaluates billionaires based on their net worth in US dollars, utilizing information gathered from sources such as FactSet, Orbis, and PitchBook. Typically, the list focuses on individuals rather than family units; however, it aggregates family wealth when connected to the original founder.
Highlighted below are some of the leading Canadian billionaires featured in the 2023 Forbes compilation:
...| Global rank | Individual | Net worth (USD) | Wealth origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Template:Sortname & family | US$54.4 billion | Media |
| 167 | Template:Sortname | US$10.5 billion | Cryptocurrency exchange |
| 202 | Template:Sortname | US$9.5 billion | Diversified holdings |
| 215 | Template:Sortname | US$9 billion |
(This selection represents a subset; the full roster encompasses entrepreneurs from sectors including media, retail, technology, real estate, and finance.)
Historical
Herbert Samuel Holt is regarded as the wealthiest Canadian in history. As president of multiple enterprises such as the Royal Bank of Canada, his net worth was estimated at CA$3 billion in 1928—an amount that translates to several billions in today’s terms.
Statistics Canada
The family wealth figures compiled by Statistics Canada derive from the Survey Financial Security Public Use Microdata File (SFS PUMF).
Parliamentary Budget Officer
In 2019, the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) released a report analyzing potential tax revenues from families possessing net assets exceeding $20 million. The PBO identified significant underreporting of wealth among high-net-worth families within the SFS PUMF data and responded by creating an adjusted dataset known as the High-net-worth Family Database (HFD) to more accurately represent wealth distribution. This adjustment revealed that the top one percent control a substantially larger share of wealth—25.6% compared to the previously reported 13.7%.
Canadian Business
Since 1998, Canadian Business has consistently published yearly rankings showcasing Canada’s top 100 richest individuals and families, outlining their estimated fortunes and sources of income. Notably, the Thomson Family’s net worth expanded from over C$26 billion in 2013 to surpass C$39 billion by 2017.