The Top 10 Wealthiest People in Canada: A Look at Canada’s Richest People

When many of us think about wealth, we often picture towering corporate empires or massive philanthropic donations in headlines. Here in the Great White North, Canada’s richest people are just as fascinating as their global counterparts, sometimes even overshadowing American magnates or European tycoons. Learning who ranks among the richest people in Canada not only paints a picture of the country’s diverse economic landscape but also reveals the industries that fuel these fortunes—from cutting-edge technology and e-commerce to classic resource-based ventures. This rundown of the top 10 billionaires in 2025, or so-called “ten-digit club” members, highlights how distinctly varied Canadian wealth can be.

In the following list, we’ll delve into how each tycoon earned their fortune, their estimated net worth, and what sets them apart. Whether it’s bold entrepreneurship in the crypto space, old-money family legacies, or innovative leaps in software, each figure has left a unique imprint on Canada’s financial tapestry. We’ll also see how “value creation,” “vision,” and sheer luck can catapult someone to the top. And of course, the question always arises: who is the richest person in Canada? By the end of this article, you’ll be well-versed in the identities and stories of these notable Canadian billionaires—each with their own flair, passions, and philanthropic footprints.

1. Changpeng Zhao — Net Worth: $60.99 Billion (World Rank: 24)

At number one on our list of Canada’s richest people, Changpeng Zhao stands out as a global heavyweight in the cryptocurrency space. Often referred to simply as “CZ,” Zhao is the founder and CEO of Binance, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges. Although he was born in Jiangsu, China, Zhao emigrated to Canada in his teenage years, eventually settling in Vancouver. Over the past decade, his net worth soared thanks to Binance’s rapid growth, capitalizing on the worldwide explosion in crypto trading. Known for its daily transaction volume reaching billions of dollars, Binance catapulted him to a net worth of $60.99 billion by 2025, solidifying his spot among the richest people in Canada and in global finance circles.

Despite his crypto roots, Zhao remains an intriguing figure who’s not pigeonholed solely as a tech magnate. He has shown interest in philanthropic endeavors, particularly in supporting global blockchain education and relief efforts. Some skeptics question the volatility inherent in the cryptocurrency world, but Zhao’s success underscores the appetite for decentralized finance solutions. In the broader conversation about who is the richest person in Canada, Zhao’s name frequently tops the list—an extraordinary ascent for someone who started out flipping burgers in a Vancouver McDonald’s to help support his family as newcomers. It’s a testament to how rapidly modern tech can mint new billionaires in emerging fields.

2. David Cheriton — Net Worth: $14.33 Billion (World Rank: 157)

Claiming the second position among Canada’s richest people is David Cheriton, a Canadian computer scientist and Stanford University professor best known for his early investment in Google. Born in Vancouver, he pursued mathematics and computing degrees that eventually led him to teaching roles at Stanford. In the mid-1990s, Cheriton met Larry Page and Sergey Brin, offering them seed funding for their nascent search engine idea. While that investment was modest at the time, the Google stake ballooned once the company went public, thrusting him into the ranks of the richest people in Canada.

Today, his net worth hovers around $14.33 billion in 2025, largely from that internet windfall plus subsequent tech ventures. Despite his wealth, Cheriton maintains a reputation for frugality—he’s famously said to cut his own hair and avoid lavish lifestyles. He invests in various cloud and networking start-ups, leveraging his academic background to pick winners. Although overshadowed by more vocal Silicon Valley magnates, Cheriton is widely respected for his low-key approach and philanthropic support for higher education. He’s a prime example that not every richest person in Canada is a high-profile business mogul constantly in the media—sometimes they’re low-key professors who made a brilliant early bet on tech.

3. Joseph Tsai — Net Worth: $11.96 Billion (World Rank: 198)

Joseph Tsai lands third among Canada’s richest people with a net worth of $11.96 billion in 2025. Best known as a co-founder and executive vice chairman of Alibaba Group, Tsai was born in Taiwan and later attended high school in the United States, but also holds Canadian citizenship. His early legal background, combined with a stint in private equity, paved the way for him to join Jack Ma’s e-commerce venture during its infancy. This move propelled him to multi-billionaire status when Alibaba went public in what was then one of the largest IPOs in history.

Beyond Alibaba, Tsai’s diverse portfolio includes sports team ownership—he’s an owner of the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA—and philanthropic endeavors that often focus on healthcare and education. In Canada, Tsai’s name surfaces periodically regarding investments in local tech or philanthropic expansions, reinforcing that his ties to the country remain meaningful. While overshadowed by Alibaba’s Chinese operations, Tsai’s role in globalizing the company helped him emerge as one of the richest people in Canada. His net worth underscores how cross-border commerce—especially in the digital age—can yield fortunes that defy geographic boundaries.

4. Jim Pattison — Net Worth: $11.46 Billion (World Rank: 208)

Next up is Jim Pattison, hailing from British Columbia, who easily ranks among the richest people in Canada with a 2025 net worth of $11.46 billion. Self-made from the ground up, Pattison started with a single GM dealership in Vancouver during the 1960s. Over decades, he built the Jim Pattison Group into a multi-industry conglomerate, spanning grocery stores, billboard advertising, fisheries, automotive retail, and more. The group’s annual sales soared into the billions, rendering him something of a Western Canadian business icon.

Even though he’s in his nineties by 2025, Pattison remains active, upholding the notion that entrepreneurial spirit needn’t retire. Notorious for deals that catch the market off guard, he’s expanded into new ventures whenever opportunities arose, all while fostering a reputation for personal humility. He’s also known for significant philanthropic contributions, particularly to healthcare and educational institutions in British Columbia. Among Canada’s luminaries with the worst economic standing or the best, Pattison proves that unrelenting work ethic and opportunistic expansions can build a vast empire—even from a single dealership lot.

5. David Thomson — Net Worth: $10.19 Billion (World Rank: 261)

David Thomson stands out as scion to the Thomson media dynasty, one that has shaped global news and information services. With an approximate $10.19 billion net worth, Thomson is a mainstay in any ranking of richest people in Canada. He inherited substantial stakes in Thomson Reuters, the massive provider of news, data, and analytics, along with broad real estate and investment holdings. The Thomson family’s deep media influence dates back decades, making them pivotal players in shaping how Canada—and the world—consume information.

Unlike more flamboyant billionaires, Thomson keeps a comparatively low personal profile, rarely granting interviews or public statements on policy. However, the Thomson Reuters brand stands as a hallmark of reliability in financial and legal data, a staple among law firms, brokerage houses, and corporations worldwide. Being among Canada’s richest people grants Thomson significant sway, yet he often channels it through philanthropy or cultural patronage, particularly in Toronto’s arts scene. Observers note that while many new-age billionaires hail from tech upstarts, the Thomson name underlines that classic family dynasties can still hold their ground among the richest people in Canada.

6. Tobi Lütke — Net Worth: $8.91 Billion (World Rank: 330)

Tobi Lütke, a software developer who co-founded Shopify, enters the roster of Canada’s richest people with a net worth of $8.91 billion in 2025. Born in Germany, Lütke moved to Canada in his early twenties, initially as a programmer drawn by the country’s budding tech environment. His big break came when he pivoted from building an online snowboard store into creating an e-commerce platform that let entrepreneurs launch their own digital storefronts. Shopify exploded in popularity, especially post-2020, as small businesses rushed online.

Under Lütke’s leadership, Shopify headquarters in Ottawa grew into a powerhouse employing thousands, while the platform served over a million merchants worldwide. The success soared the brand’s valuation, catapulting Lütke into the circle of richest people in Canada. He also advocates for remote work and a results-only culture, shaping an innovative corporate ethos. Although occasional dips in the tech market tested Shopify’s share price, Lütke’s stake remains substantial. Observers see him as proof that Canada can produce groundbreaking tech entrepreneurs, not just resource moguls.

7. Chip Wilson — Net Worth: $6.77 Billion (World Rank: 493)

Name a brand that turned yoga pants into mainstream attire, and you’ll likely think of Lululemon. That success story propelled Chip Wilson, its founder, to a seat among Canada’s richest people, with a 2025 net worth around $6.77 billion. Wilson, initially from Calgary, developed a background in surf, skate, and snowboard apparel before launching Lululemon in Vancouver in 1998. By pioneering high-quality athletic wear with appealing designs, he tapped into a cultural shift toward “athleisure,” forever changing wardrobes everywhere from yoga studios to coffee shops.

While he resigned from active leadership, Wilson retains a substantial stake in Lululemon, plus diversified investments in other lifestyle brands and real estate. Some controversies—like remarks on sizing or brand culture—arose along the way, but he remains emblematic of how a niche sports product can transform into a global phenomenon. Ranking among the richest people in Canada based on leggings and performance fabrics might have seemed unthinkable a few decades ago, but Wilson shows that if you catch a lifestyle trend early enough, the financial returns can be immense.

8. Alain Bouchard — Net Worth: $6.69 Billion (World Rank: 497)

Alain Bouchard’s fortune may not ring as many bells internationally, but in Canada, he’s a retail giant. As co-founder of Alimentation Couche-Tard—the parent company behind Circle K and Couche-Tard convenience stores—he’s soared to a $6.69 billion net worth, placing him firmly among Canada’s richest people. The concept started with a single Quebec-based convenience store and expanded aggressively, gobbling up gas station chains and convenience brands worldwide. The brand is now a major presence, boasting thousands of outlets across North America, Europe, and beyond.

Known for business acumen and frugality, Bouchard shaped Couche-Tard’s expansion strategy around efficient operations and cultural adaptability—two core pillars that contributed to sustained profitability. Observers admire how the company maintained local touches while still achieving economies of scale. Among the richest people in Canada, Bouchard is less flashy than tech moguls or media heirs, but his empire truly touches everyday lives. Ask any commuter who stops for coffee and a snack on a road trip: they might well have Bouchard’s entrepreneurial spirit to thank for that quick convenience.

9. Mark Scheinberg — Net Worth: $6.04 Billion (World Rank: 563)

Mark Scheinberg gained prominence through online poker—specifically, co-founding PokerStars with his father. Originally from Israel, Scheinberg spent much of his life in Canada, and his tie to the brand soared after the online poker boom. By the 2010s, PokerStars held a dominant share of the internet gambling market, generating substantial revenues. After selling the platform’s parent company, The Stars Group, for billions, Scheinberg shot up the ladder of richest people in Canada with a net worth of around $6.04 billion in 2025.

Post-sale, he diversified into real estate and hospitality, acquiring premium properties in major global cities. In Canada, some philanthropic contributions target youth programs and health initiatives, reflecting his interest in giving back to a country that was crucial to his brand’s growth. While online gambling remains a polarizing domain, few can deny that Scheinberg’s success story exemplifies how digital platforms can spark vast personal wealth. His presence underscores the modern dimension of who lands among the richest people in Canada—individuals leveraging an internet boom to rival old-guard family dynasties.

10. Daryl Katz — Net Worth: $5.85 Billion (World Rank: 586)

Rounding out the top 10 is Daryl Katz, a name synonymous with pharmacy chains and professional hockey in the context of Canada’s richest people. Katz built his empire by transforming the small Rexall chain in Edmonton into a sprawling pharmacy network across Canada, culminating in multi-billion-dollar expansions. A pivotal sale of drugstore holdings bolstered his fortune further, letting him refocus on other business ventures and philanthropic endeavors within Alberta.

Sports fans know Katz best as the owner of the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL, highlighting a synergy between business leadership and local sports devotion. His net worth in 2025 hovers near $5.85 billion, reflecting diversified assets in real estate, entertainment, and health-related startups. Katz invests heavily in revitalizing downtown Edmonton, pushing cultural and commercial developments tied to Rogers Place, the Oilers’ arena. Being among the richest people in Canada didn’t dull his commitment to local identity—he’s long championed philanthropic campaigns, from healthcare to educational programs. Observers view Katz’s story as evidence that one can parlay a niche sector—like pharmacies—into broad-based economic influence.

Canada’s Iconic Billionaires

From Changpeng Zhao’s surge in cryptocurrency wealth to Daryl Katz’s pharmacy-based empire, these individuals form a dynamic tapestry of Canada’s richest people in 2025. They earned spots in the upper echelon of the richest people in Canada through vastly different routes: some harnessed the digital revolution of e-commerce or software, while others capitalized on natural resources, real estate, or niche consumer trends. Among them are quiet academic types, like David Cheriton, who struck gold with a tech bet, and entrepreneurial dynamos like Jim Pattison, who built a sprawling conglomerate from a single car dealership. This diversity underscores that no single strategy or background guarantees a direct path to billions—though each story highlights creativity, persistent effort, and timely decision-making.

For the perennial question—“Who is the richest person in Canada right now?”—the answer in 2025 points to Changpeng Zhao, whose $60.99 billion net worth puts him well ahead of other Canadians on the global list. Yet wealth can fluctuate rapidly in a changing market; even the mightiest fortunes aren’t immune to macroeconomic shifts or sector-specific risks. While some may admire these high net-worth stories as tales of brilliance or perseverance, others reflect on the social responsibilities that come with immense personal riches. Regardless, the top 10 wealthiest stand as a testament to the varied ways Canadians break through in the global economy—through technology, resource management, finance, or the convenience store down the street. Their stories capture the vibrancy of a nation where innovation and tradition meet, forging influential figures who dominate the conversation around Canada’s richest people.