The richest people in Canada in 2026 reflect a major shift in the country’s wealth landscape.
For decades, Canada’s billionaire class was dominated by family empires built on media, groceries, real estate, oil, forestry, finance and food production. Those dynasties still matter. The Thomson family, Weston family, Irving family, McCain family, Rogers family and Desmarais family remain among the country’s most powerful fortunes.
But the top of the list now looks different.
Crypto, e-commerce, software, data centres, venture capital and AI-linked technology have pushed new names into Canada’s wealth elite. Changpeng Zhao, the Canadian founder of Binance, has become one of the country’s most prominent billionaires, helped by the extraordinary value of crypto assets and his stake in the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.
The result is a Canadian rich list that mixes old money and new money, private dynasties and public-company founders, cautious investors and high-risk digital entrepreneurs.
This ranking looks at the top 40 richest people in Canada for 2026, their estimated net worth, industries and the business empires behind their wealth.
Important Note on Net Worth Estimates
Billionaire rankings change constantly.
Net worth estimates depend on public share prices, private-company valuations, exchange rates, family holdings, debt assumptions, trusts and assets that may not be fully visible. Private families are especially difficult to value because many do not disclose detailed financial information.
The figures below should therefore be treated as conservative estimates, not exact audited wealth declarations.
Unless otherwise stated, the net worth figures are presented in Canadian-dollar terms based on the latest Canadian rich-list estimates available for the 2026 publishing cycle.
Top 10 Richest People in Canada 2026
| Rank | Name | Estimated Net Worth | Main Source of Wealth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Changpeng Zhao | $91.3B | Cryptocurrency |
| 2 | Thomson Family | $90.2B | Media and information distribution |
| 3 | Galen Weston Jr. | $20.6B | Grocery and real estate |
| 4 | Tobias Lütke | $19.1B | E-commerce |
| 5 | Joseph Tsai | $18.5B | E-commerce and sports |
| 6 | David Cheriton | $16.3B | Information technology |
| 7 | Irving Family | $15.8B | Forestry, oil and construction |
| 8 | McCain Family | $13.9B | Food processing |
| 9 | Ling Tang | $13.7B | Investing |
| 10 | Desmarais Family | $12.7B | Financial services |
1. Changpeng Zhao – $91.3 Billion
Industry: Cryptocurrency
Changpeng Zhao, widely known as CZ, ranks as the richest person in Canada in the latest wealth estimates.
He is the founder of Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. His fortune is closely linked to his ownership interest in Binance and the value of crypto assets connected to the exchange ecosystem.
Zhao’s rise shows how digital finance has disrupted traditional wealth rankings. Unlike older Canadian dynasties built over generations, his fortune grew rapidly through global crypto adoption, exchange trading activity and the value of digital tokens.
His wealth is also highly volatile because it depends heavily on crypto market conditions.
2. Thomson Family – $90.2 Billion
Industry: Media and information distribution
The Thomson family remains one of Canada’s most powerful dynasties.
The family fortune traces back to Roy Thomson, who built a newspaper and media empire that later evolved into a global information and data business. Today, the family’s biggest asset is Thomson Reuters, a major provider of professional information, legal data, financial tools and news services.
The family also has interests in media, sports and investment holdings through its wider business network.
Even after losing the number-one position, the Thomsons remain central to Canadian business power.
3. Galen Weston Jr. – $20.6 Billion
Industry: Grocery and real estate
Galen Weston Jr. is one of Canada’s most recognisable business figures.
The Weston fortune is tied to grocery retail, real estate and consumer goods. Its key assets include Loblaw Companies, George Weston Ltd. and holdings connected to Wittington Investments.
Loblaw is Canada’s largest food retailer, operating major grocery, pharmacy and retail brands. The Weston family’s wealth has benefited from the strength of grocery retail and the long-term value of real estate linked to retail assets.
Food inflation and public scrutiny of grocery profits have also kept the family in the national spotlight.
4. Tobias Lütke – $19.1 Billion
Industry: E-commerce
Tobias Lütke is the founder and chief executive of Shopify.
Shopify has become one of Canada’s most important technology companies, powering online stores for entrepreneurs, brands and major global retailers. Its growth reflects the global shift toward digital commerce and merchant software.
Lütke’s wealth is tied to Shopify’s market value, which can rise and fall sharply with technology stocks.
His presence near the top of the rich list shows how Canada’s technology sector is producing billionaires capable of competing with older family fortunes.
5. Joseph Tsai – $18.5 Billion
Industry: E-commerce and sports
Joseph Tsai is best known as a co-founder of Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant.
Although his wealth is rooted in digital commerce, Tsai has expanded into sports and global investments. He owns the Brooklyn Nets and has built a visible profile in basketball, media and technology.
His fortune reflects both the scale of Alibaba and the continued global value of technology platforms, despite regulatory and market challenges in China.
Tsai’s ranking also shows how Canadian-linked wealth is often global, not only domestic.
6. David Cheriton – $16.3 Billion
Industry: Information technology
David Cheriton is a Canadian-born computer scientist, Stanford professor emeritus and technology investor.
He became famous for being an early investor in Google. He also co-founded Arista Networks, a major networking company whose systems support cloud computing and data-centre infrastructure.
Cheriton’s wealth is closely connected to the backbone of the modern internet economy. As AI, cloud computing and data-centre demand grow, infrastructure technology has become one of the strongest wealth creators in the world.
7. Irving Family – $15.8 Billion
Industry: Forestry, oil and construction
The Irving family is one of Canada’s most famous private business dynasties.
Based in New Brunswick, the family empire spans forestry, oil, shipbuilding, construction, media, transportation and industrial operations. Irving Oil and J.D. Irving are among the best-known parts of the group.
The family has long played an outsized role in Atlantic Canada’s economy.
Because many Irving assets are private, exact valuation is difficult, but the family remains one of Canada’s most influential industrial groups.
8. McCain Family – $13.9 Billion
Industry: Food processing
The McCain family built its fortune through McCain Foods, one of the world’s largest frozen food companies.
Founded in Florenceville, New Brunswick, the company became famous for frozen fries and later expanded into a global food-processing giant. Its products are sold in many countries and used by restaurants, supermarkets and food-service companies.
The family’s wealth reflects the strength of branded food production and global supply chains.
McCain remains one of Canada’s best-known examples of a local business becoming a worldwide food empire.
9. Ling Tang – $13.7 Billion
Industry: Investing
Ling Tang is one of the newest names among Canada’s richest people.
Her fortune is linked to early investment in AppLovin, a mobile technology and advertising platform. AppLovin’s rapid share-price growth lifted her estimated wealth sharply, showing how pre-IPO technology investments can create enormous fortunes.
Tang’s low public profile also highlights a trend in modern wealth: some of the richest investors are not household names, even when their holdings are worth billions.
10. Desmarais Family – $12.7 Billion
Industry: Financial services
The Desmarais family built one of Canada’s most important financial empires through Power Corporation of Canada.
The family’s wealth is connected to insurance, asset management, financial services, alternative investments and fintech. Power Corporation has major holdings in businesses such as Great-West Lifeco, IGM Financial, Sagard and other investment platforms.
The family has also been active in sustainable investment and financial technology.
The Desmarais name remains deeply connected to Canadian corporate power, especially in Quebec and national finance.
Top 40 Richest People in Canada 2026
| Rank | Name | Estimated Net Worth | Industry / Source of Wealth |
| 1 | Changpeng Zhao | $91.3B | Cryptocurrency |
| 2 | Thomson Family | $90.2B | Media and information distribution |
| 3 | Galen Weston Jr. | $20.6B | Grocery and real estate |
| 4 | Tobias Lütke | $19.1B | E-commerce |
| 5 | Joseph Tsai | $18.5B | E-commerce and sports |
| 6 | David Cheriton | $16.3B | Information technology |
| 7 | Irving Family | $15.8B | Forestry, oil and construction |
| 8 | McCain Family | $13.9B | Food processing |
| 9 | Ling Tang | $13.7B | Investing |
| 10 | Desmarais Family | $12.7B | Financial services |
| 11 | Jim Pattison | $11.9B | Car dealerships, forestry, grocery and advertising |
| 12 | Rogers Family | $11.9B | Media and communications |
| 13 | Richardson Family | $10.3B | Agriculture, transportation, oil and financial services |
| 14 | Bruce Flatt | $9.9B | Investing |
| 15 | Alain Bouchard | $9.8B | Retail |
| 16 | Apostolopoulos Family | $9.6B | Real estate and entertainment |
| 17 | Peter Gilgan | $9.3B | Home construction |
| 18 | Stuart Hoegner | $9.3B | Cryptocurrency |
| 19 | Garrett Camp | $9.2B | Technology |
| 20 | Zekelman Family | $9.0B | Steel |
| 21 | Saputo Family | $8.9B | Food production |
| 22 | Richard Li | $8.5B | Finance, technology, real estate and communications |
| 23 | Dennis “Chip” Wilson | $8.3B | Retail |
| 24 | Leonid Boguslavsky | $8.2B | Venture capital |
| 25 | Stephen Smith | $8.0B | Financial services |
| 26 | Anthony von Mandl | $7.9B | Beverages and consumer brands |
| 27 | Gaglardi Family | $7.4B | Hospitality |
| 28 | Daryl Katz | $7.4B | Sports and entertainment |
| 29 | Jeff Skoll | $7.3B | Technology and film |
| 30 | Ryan Cohen | $7.0B | Retail and investing |
| 31 | Mark Scheinberg | $7.0B | Hospitality and real estate |
| 32 | Mark Leonard and Family | $6.5B | Software |
| 33 | Carlo Fidani | $6.1B | Real estate |
| 34 | Michael Latifi | $6.1B | Food processing |
| 35 | Sobey Family | $5.5B | Grocery |
| 36 | N. Murray Edwards | $5.4B | Natural resources |
| 37 | Lalji Family | $5.0B | Real estate and hospitality |
| 38 | Jean Coutu and Family | $4.9B | Pharmacy |
| 39 | Jack Cockwell | $4.8B | Investing |
| 40 | Jacques D’Amours | $4.8B | Retail |
Biggest Themes in Canada’s 2026 Rich List
Crypto Has Entered the Mainstream of Wealth
The biggest change is the rise of crypto-linked fortunes.
Changpeng Zhao ranks first, while Stuart Hoegner also appears in the top 20 through cryptocurrency-linked wealth. This marks a clear break from older rankings dominated by media, groceries, real estate and finance.
Crypto wealth can move quickly, however. A rally can add billions, while a crash can erase large portions of paper wealth.
Old Family Dynasties Still Matter
Despite the rise of new tech wealth, Canada’s old business families remain powerful.
The Thomson, Weston, Irving, McCain, Rogers, Richardson, Desmarais, Saputo and Sobey families still control or influence major sectors of the economy.
Their wealth is often built on long-term ownership, family-controlled holding companies and diversified assets.
Technology Is Producing More Billionaires
Tobias Lütke, David Cheriton, Garrett Camp, Mark Leonard and Jeff Skoll show the importance of technology in Canadian wealth creation.
Their fortunes come from e-commerce, internet infrastructure, software, ride-hailing, online marketplaces and digital platforms.
As AI, data centres and enterprise software expand, technology billionaires are likely to remain central to Canada’s wealth rankings.
Real Estate Remains a Major Wealth Engine
Canada’s high-value property markets continue to support large fortunes.
The Apostolopoulos, Gilgan, Fidani and Lalji families all show the power of real estate, construction, hospitality and commercial property ownership.
Even when housing markets slow, long-held land and commercial assets can preserve enormous wealth.
Food and Grocery Fortunes Remain Strong
Food remains one of the most reliable sources of Canadian billionaire wealth.
The Weston, McCain, Saputo, Sobey and Latifi fortunes show the strength of grocery retail, frozen foods, dairy, meat processing and branded consumer products.
These industries face pressure from inflation, labour costs and public scrutiny, but their scale gives them resilience.
Highlights from the Rest of the Top 40
Jim Pattison remains one of Canada’s most diversified entrepreneurs, with interests in grocery, advertising, entertainment, car dealerships, forestry and media.
The Rogers family continues to dominate communications and sports media through Rogers Communications and major sports assets.
Bruce Flatt has built one of the world’s most powerful investment careers through Brookfield, with exposure to infrastructure, real estate, energy and asset management.
Alain Bouchard remains a retail heavyweight through Alimentation Couche-Tard, one of the world’s largest convenience-store operators.
Peter Gilgan’s Mattamy Homes has made him one of Canada’s most successful homebuilders.
Dennis “Chip” Wilson remains closely associated with Lululemon and other apparel-sector investments.
Daryl Katz’s wealth comes from pharmacy, sports and entertainment, including the Edmonton Oilers.
Mark Leonard and his family remain major software wealth holders through Constellation Software, one of Canada’s most successful technology companies.
Where Canada’s Richest People Made Their Money
| Sector | Examples |
| Cryptocurrency | Changpeng Zhao, Stuart Hoegner |
| Media and information | Thomson Family |
| Grocery and food | Weston, McCain, Saputo, Sobey, Latifi |
| Technology and software | Tobias Lütke, David Cheriton, Garrett Camp, Mark Leonard |
| Real estate | Apostolopoulos, Gilgan, Fidani, Lalji |
| Finance and investing | Desmarais, Bruce Flatt, Stephen Smith, Jack Cockwell |
| Retail | Alain Bouchard, Chip Wilson, Jacques D’Amours |
| Natural resources | Irving Family, N. Murray Edwards |
| Sports and entertainment | Joseph Tsai, Daryl Katz, Gaglardi Family |
| Hospitality | Gaglardi Family, Mark Scheinberg, Lalji Family |
Why Canada’s Wealth Rankings Are Changing
Canada’s wealth rankings are changing because the economy is changing.
Traditional wealth came from industries that required land, infrastructure, factories, stores, logistics networks and long-term family ownership. These businesses still produce enormous fortunes.
New wealth is coming from businesses that scale globally through software, platforms, digital finance and data.
A founder can now build a global company from Canada or with Canadian roots and create wealth faster than previous generations could.
This is why Shopify, Binance, Uber-linked wealth, AppLovin investment gains and software empires now sit beside century-old family fortunes.
The Risk Behind the Rankings
Large fortunes are not fixed.
A billionaire’s wealth can rise or fall because of:
- Stock market movements
- Currency changes
- Crypto prices
- Interest rates
- Lawsuits
- Regulations
- Family trusts
- Company debt
- Private valuation changes
- Asset sales
- Political changes
- Consumer demand
That is why rich lists should be read as snapshots, not permanent rankings.
Key Takeaways
- Changpeng Zhao is the richest person linked to Canada in the latest 2026 cycle.
- The Thomson family remains one of Canada’s wealthiest and most powerful dynasties.
- Galen Weston Jr. ranks third through grocery and real estate wealth.
- Tobias Lütke’s Shopify fortune shows the rise of Canadian technology wealth.
- Joseph Tsai, David Cheriton and Garrett Camp show Canada’s global tech influence.
- Old family fortunes still dominate food, media, finance, real estate and industry.
- Crypto and AI-era technology are reshaping the top of the list.
- The top 40 includes private families, founders, investors and public-company shareholders.
- Net worth estimates are not exact and can change quickly.
- Canada’s billionaire class is becoming more global, digital and diversified.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the richest person in Canada in 2026?
Changpeng Zhao is ranked as the richest person linked to Canada in the latest estimates, with a fortune tied mainly to cryptocurrency and Binance.
Is the Thomson family still the richest family in Canada?
Yes. The Thomson family remains Canada’s richest family, even though Changpeng Zhao ranks above them as an individual.
What is the Thomson family’s source of wealth?
The Thomson family’s wealth comes mainly from Thomson Reuters, media assets, data services and long-term investments.
How did Changpeng Zhao become so rich?
Zhao built Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, and his wealth is tied to his stake in the company and crypto-related assets.
Who is the richest tech founder in Canada?
Tobias Lütke of Shopify is one of the richest technology founders linked to Canada. David Cheriton and Garrett Camp are also major tech billionaires.
Which Canadian families are among the richest?
The richest Canadian families include the Thomson, Weston, Irving, McCain, Rogers, Richardson, Desmarais, Saputo and Sobey families.
Which industries create the most billionaires in Canada?
Major wealth sectors include cryptocurrency, media, grocery, real estate, finance, food production, technology, software, retail and natural resources.
Are net worth estimates exact?
No. Net worth estimates are based on public filings, market values, private-company comparisons and available financial information. They can change quickly.
Why do Canada’s richest people change every year?
Rankings change because of stock prices, crypto prices, company performance, inheritance, asset sales, private valuations and exchange rates.
How many billionaires are in Canada?
Canada has dozens of billionaires, but the exact number changes depending on market values, ranking methods and whether family fortunes are counted together.
Conclusion
The richest people in Canada in 2026 show a country where old dynasties and new digital fortunes now share the top of the wealth table.
Changpeng Zhao’s rise marks the strongest sign of change. Crypto has pushed a new kind of wealth into first place, challenging long-established Canadian families such as the Thomsons, Westons, Irvings and McCains.
At the same time, traditional sectors remain powerful. Groceries, food production, finance, real estate, natural resources and media still produce some of Canada’s biggest fortunes.
The future of Canadian wealth will likely be shaped by three forces: technology, capital markets and family-controlled business empires. AI, software, digital finance and data infrastructure may create the next wave of billionaires, while established families continue to compound wealth through ownership, real estate and long-term investment.
Canada’s rich list is no longer just a story of inherited power. It is now also a story of platforms, algorithms, digital assets and global scale.
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