Who Are the Richest Canadians? Inside the Forbes 2026 Billionaire List

The highly anticipated Forbes 2026 billionaire list has officially dropped, and there has frankly never been a more lucrative time to be in the ultra-wealthy club. Driven by the relentless explosion of artificial intelligence and sizzling stock markets, a record-breaking 3,428 individuals made this year’s ranking—that’s 400 more than in 2025. Collectively, the world’s wealthiest are now sitting on a staggering $20.1 trillion.

Unsurprisingly, U.S. tech titans are leading the global pack. Elon Musk continues his absolute dominance at number one with an estimated net worth of $839 billion, followed by big-tech moguls like Google’s Larry Page ($257B) and Sergey Brin ($237B), Amazon’s Jeff Bezos ($224B), and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg ($222B).

But what does this wealth explosion look like from our side of the border? We dug into the data to see how our locals are faring on the global stage.

While the U.S. and China dominate the absolute top tier, Canada is punching well above its weight class. When looking for the Canadian billionaires Forbes highlighted this year, a record 82 Canadians cracked the global rankings. This proves that our homegrown tech, real estate, and crypto sectors are churning out massive, world-class fortunes.

When we look at the Richest Canadians 2026, the top spots are a mix of digital disruptors and legacy family empires:

The Crypto King: Changpeng “CZ” Zhao remains the richest Canadian by a massive margin. The former Binance CEO sits at 17th globally. Despite stepping down and a brief stint in prison before a recent presidential pardon, he still owns roughly 90% of the massive crypto exchange. Currently, Changpeng Zhao net worth is estimated at an eye-watering $110 billion.

The Stablecoin Giant: Coming in second for Canada (and 104th globally) is Stuart Hoegner. The former general counsel for Tether boasts a $24.7 billion fortune, riding the continued wave of cryptocurrency dominance.

The Sports & Retail Royalty: Joseph Tsai (Alibaba co-founder and Brooklyn Nets owner) ranks third among Canadians at $13 billion, while West Coast conglomerate king Jim Pattison sits fourth at $12 billion.

Canada’s Wealthiest Woman: Sherry Brydson, heiress to the Thomson Reuters fortune and part-owner of The Globe & Mail, holds the fifth spot for Canadians with an estimated $11.5 billion.

The Toronto & Ontario Connection

For those of us reading this in the GTA, there are plenty of familiar names shaping our local economy. When evaluating the wealthiest people in Ontario, several prominent Toronto billionaires made massive waves on the global list:

Tobi Lütke ($10.7 Billion): The co-founder and CEO of Shopify grew up in Germany but proudly calls Toronto home. He ranks as the sixth richest Canadian and 302nd globally, firmly anchoring Toronto’s reputation as a North American tech hub.

Peter Gilgan ($7.7 Billion): If you’ve ever driven through the GTA suburbs, you know Mattamy Homes. Founder Peter Gilgan has built over 135,000 houses across North America. His real estate empire has earned him the 487th spot globally.

Larry Tanenbaum ($2.8 Billion): The chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE)—the man behind the Leafs, Raptors, and TFC—continues to secure his spot in the billionaire’s club, keeping Toronto’s sports scene fiercely competitive.

David Cheriton ($9.8 Billion): Known as the “billionaire professor,” this Stanford academic and early Google investor maintains deep Canadian roots and sits as the seventh richest Canadian.

What’s Driving the Wealth?

Looking at the broader list published by Forbes, the secret to massive wealth in 2026 seems to be a mix of legacy investments and bleeding-edge tech. While traditional sectors like shipping, retail, and real estate are holding steady, the massive leaps in net worth are directly tied to AI infrastructure, cryptocurrency exchanges, and e-commerce platforms.

For us regular folks navigating the TTC and the Toronto housing market, the Forbes list is a fascinating glimpse into the stratosphere of global finance—and a stark reminder that some of the biggest financial players in the world are living right in our own backyard.

What do you think of this year’s rankings? Are you surprised by who made the list (or who didn’t)? Let us know your thoughts below!

Disclaimer: The net worth figures, rankings, and data mentioned in this article are based on the annual Forbes 2026 World’s Billionaires List, which calculated wealth using stock prices and exchange rates from March 1, 2026.

You Might Also Like:

The Forbes 2026 Billionaire List: Which Canadians and Torontonians Made the Cut?