The rich are definitely getting richer as there are now more billionaires than ever, and many of them reside right here in Canada, according to Forbes’ 2024 World’s Billionaires List, which ranks the richest people on the planet.
Forbes says there are now 2,781 billionaires worldwide — 141 more than in 2023.
Not only are there more billionaires than ever, they are also getting wealthier, as two-thirds of those on the list are richer than they were a year ago.
The US is home to 813 billionaires — the most in the world, followed by China with 473, and India with 200.
There were 67 Canadians who made the list, with the richest being David Thomson and his family who came in as the 22nd wealthiest billionaires in the world, with a US$67.8 billion net worth.
In the past year, the Thomsons saw their wealth increase by US$13.4 billion from 2023.
David Thomson, a member of one of the wealthiest families in Canada and the world (thomsonreuters.com)
The Thomsons are shareholders of Woodbridge, a family investment firm that controls the media publishing empire Thomson Reuters, which was founded by their grandfather, Roy Thomson.
It’s one of the world’s largest international news agencies, and altogether, the family holds more than 320 million shares, according to Forbes.
Besides being one of the richest Canadians, David Thomson is also known for having an extensive art collection, which reportedly includes pieces from Pablo Picasso and the world’s top collection of works by English romantic painter John Constable.
Following the Thomsons was Canadian Changpeng Zhao, placing 50th on the list overall with a worth of US$33 billion.
Zhao, who goes by CZ, is the founder and former CEO of the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world, known as Binance.
Canada’s third-richest billionaire is David Cheriton, known as “Professor Billionaire.” Cheriton is a professor emeritus at Stanford University and has cashed in on his riches after being an early investor in Google, notes Forbes. He ranked 156th on the global list with US$12.6 billion.
Following Cheriton is well-known Canadian mogul Jim Pattison, with US$9.3 billion (ranking 263 in the world). Pattison leads multiple ventures ranging from advertising, entertainment, and food.
Another well-known name on the list is lululemon founder Chip Wilson, who is #403 on the global ranking with a US$6.8 billion net worth. Wilson saw his wealth increase by US$1.8 billion over the past year.
Clem Louineau/ Daily Hive
As for the richest billionaires in the world, Bernard Arnault and his family took the top spot with an eyebrow-raising net worth of US$233 billion. The Arnaults oversee LVMH, a conglomerate of 75 fashion and cosmetics brands.
Tech moguls Elon Musk (US$195 billion), Jeff Bezos (US$194 billion), and Mark Zuckerberg (US$177 billion) also top the list.
You can read the full list of the world’s richest people here.
With files from BlogTO’s Jack Landau