Forbes Unveils the 2025 Canada Billionaires List: A Look at Canada’s 77 Richest People

The latest Forbes list of the world’s wealthiest people is out, and the Canadian billionaires in 2025 are making a strong showing. This year, a total of 77 Canadians joined the exclusive club. These individuals come from diverse fields, including cryptocurrency, retail, and technology.

Globally, the world’s billionaires command a staggering combined net worth of over $16.1 trillion USD. While the United States, China, and India have the most billionaires, Canada’s influence continues to grow. Let’s break down the top-ranking Canadians and the stories behind their wealth.

Canada Billionaires — *Photo via Forbes (@forbes) • Instagram*

Top-Ranking Canadian Billionaires

1. Changpeng Zhao (No. 24) – $62.9 Billion

Known widely as “CZ,” Zhao founded Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world. Despite stepping down as CEO in 2023 following a U.S. money laundering charge, his fortune has grown substantially. He now holds the title of Canada’s richest person.

2. Sherry Brydson (No. 125) – $16.7 Billion

Brydson is a key heir to the Thomson media empire. She is one of 11 Canadian women on the list and holds significant stakes in Thomson Reuters, the Globe and Mail, and several NHL teams.

3. David Cheriton (No. 163) – $14.3 Billion

A Stanford professor, Cheriton made his fortune with an early investment in Google. He is also a co-founder of Arista Networks, a cloud networking company.

4. Joseph Tsai (No. 195) – $12.1 Billion

Tsai is the co-founder of the e-commerce giant Alibaba Group. Based in Hong Kong, he holds Canadian citizenship. His wealth has seen a major increase from $7.6 billion in 2023.

5. Jim Pattison (No. 213) – $11.4 Billion

At 96, Pattison still heads the Jim Pattison Group, a large conglomerate with interests in food, media, and packaging. He is also known for his major philanthropic contributions to Canadian hospitals.

The Enduring Wealth of the Thomson Family

The Thomson family remains a powerhouse in Canadian finance. Several members of the family are ranked high on the list due to their stakes in The Woodbridge Company, which controls Thomson Reuters.

Gaye Farncombe (No. 382) – $8B
David Thomson (No. 264) – $10.2B
Peter Thomson (No. 264) – $10.2B
Taylor Thomson (No. 264) – $10.2B
Linda Campbell (No. 382) – $8B

Tech Titans and Startup Stars

Canada’s tech scene has produced several billionaires who are shaping modern industry.

Tobi Lütke (No. 337) – $8.9B: The CEO and co-founder of Ottawa-based Shopify has seen his fortune more than double since 2023.
Stuart Hoegner (No. 561) – $6.2B: As general counsel for Tether, he owns a 13% stake in the company behind the world’s largest stablecoin.
Garrett Camp (No. 717) – $5B: The co-founder of Uber remains one of Canada’s most prominent tech figures.
Stewart Butterfield (No. 2,110) – $1.6B: He is the co-founder of the popular communication platform Slack.

Leaders in Real Estate and Retail

Property and retail magnates also feature prominently on the list.

Peter Gilgan (No. 540) – $6.4B: He founded Mattamy Homes, one of the largest residential home builders in North America.
Carlo Fidani (No. 846) – $4.3B: Fidani is the chairman of Orlando Corp, a major player in Canadian industrial and commercial real estate.
Mitchell Goldhar (No. 1,362) – $2.7B: He is the founder of SmartCentres, which developed many suburban shopping centres across the country.

Sports and Entertainment Moguls

From hockey rinks to the big top, these Canadians built fortunes in entertainment.

Daryl Katz (No. 605) – $5.8B: The owner of the Edmonton Oilers built his wealth through the Katz Group of Companies, which started in pharmaceuticals.
Bob Gaglardi (No. 700) – $5.1B: He owns the Dallas Stars NHL team and leads Northland Properties, a company with hotels and restaurants.
Guy Laliberté (No. 2,623) – $1.2B: As a co-founder of Cirque du Soleil, he helped bring a new style of Canadian performance art to a global audience.

Other Familiar Faces on the List

The list also includes many other well-known names from the Canadian business world.

Chip Wilson (Lululemon) – $6.8B
Alain Bouchard (Couche-Tard) – $6.6B
Ryan Cohen (Chewy) – $4.7B
Michelle Zatlyn (Cloudflare) – $1.6B
Apoorva Mehta (Instacart) – $1.1B
Max Lytvyn & Alex Shevchenko (Grammarly) – $1.9B each

How Canada Measures Up Globally

With 77 billionaires, Canada has a notable presence on the world stage. However, the country trails behind the United States (902), China (516), and India (205). The increasing number of Canadian billionaires from sectors like tech and crypto shows the nation’s growing economic impact.

What do you think of this year’s list? Are there any names that surprised you? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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