How many of the world’s billionaires are from BC?
According to the latest January 2025 data pulled from Forbes‘ Real-Time Billionaires list, 67 of the world’s billionaires hail from Canada — and several of them have ties to beautiful British Columbia.
We went through the Forbes list to see where billionaires from BC rank among the richest in the world. Keep in mind their net worths are all listed in USD.
Chanpeng Zhao – $64.9 billion
Facebook/Changpeng Zhao | Iryna Budanova/Shutterstock
Chinese-Canadian coder Changpeng Zhao (who goes by CZ) is the second richest Canadian to make the list after David Thomson and his family.
Zhao is currently listed as the 24th richest billionaire in the world, with a net worth of a whopping $64.9B.
He is the founder and former CEO of Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world. In the late 1980s, Zhao’s family immigrated to Canada when he was a young teen and settled down in Vancouver. In 2023, his net worth dropped to $10.5 billion. The same year, Zhao pled guilty to charges of fraud and money laundering and awaits sentencing in the US. He retains an estimated 90% stake in Binance. The 48-year-old’s net worth increased to $33 billion in 2024.
David Cheriton – $17.2 billion
stanford.edu
Born and raised in Vancouver, David Cheriton is a professor emeritus at Stanford University. According to Forbes, he “made his fortune thanks to an early investment in Google.” He is worth $17.2 billion and ranks 109th among the richest in the world and third in the country. His net worth has sizeably increased from $12.6 billion in 2024.
Jim Pattison – $8.6 billion
Jim Pattison (Surrey Hospitals Foundation)
After Cheriton, Jim Pattison is listed as the sixth richest Canadian on the list.
Pattison is a household name not only in BC but across the country. This Vancouver-based businessman oversees a sprawling group that operates 24 divisions, including packaging, food, and entertainment. The Jim Pattison Group owns stores like Save-On-Foods, Buy-Low Foods, Pharmacy, and Urban Fare. Pattison currently has a worth of $8.6 billion, down from last year’s $9.3 billion.
Anthony von Mandl – $6.1 billion
Vancouver-born winemaker Anthony von Mandl created the ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages White Claw Hard Seltzer and Mike’s Hard Lemonade through his Mark Anthony Brands. His net worth is $6.1 billion, and he is 520th on the global list.
Chip Wilson – $6.1 billion
Clem Louineau/ Daily Hive
Despite not being the richest Canadian billionaire to top the list, Vancouver entrepreneur and lululemon founder Chip Wilson still places highly overall. He no longer has a management role at lululemon, but remains a shareholder in the company. His net worth is $6.1 billion, which dropped slightly from $6.8 billion in 2024. He is the 522nd richest person on the list.
Bob Gaglardi & family – $3.9 billion
A Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist from Kamloops, Bob Gaglardi founded Northland Properties, a parent company to multiple hotel chains, restaurants, sports teams, and construction. His net worth is $3.9 billion, and he is the 865th richest billionaire on the list.
Max Lytvyn – $1.9 billion
Max Lytvyn/ X| Grammarly
Max Lytvyn cofounded the popular grammar-checking tool Grammarly and has lived in Vancouver. He is 1,759th on the list and has a net worth of $1.9 billion.
Stewart Butterfield – $1.7 billion
Listed as the 1,862nd-richest billionaire is Steward Butterfield. Born in the north end of BC’s Sunshine Coast (Lund), Stewart Butterfield later became the co-founder and CEO of team-based messaging software Slack. He is also the co-founder of the photo-sharing website Flickr.
Brandt Louie – $1.4 billion
Vancouver-born Brandt Louie is president and CEO of H.Y. Louie Co. and chairman of London Drugs. His net worth is $1.4 billion, and he placed 2,258th on the overall billionaire’s list.
With files from Nikitha Martins