Vancouver businessmen Jim Pattison and Chip Wilson are among Canada’s top 10 billionaires, according to Forbes magazine.
The publication’s annual census of the world’s richest people demonstrates the wealth gap is growing, with more billionaires and more wealth than ever before.
This year’s list has 1,226 billionaires with a combined net worth of US$4.6 trillion, up from US$4.5 trillion from the previous year. The richest man in the world is Mexico’s Carlos Slim Helú, who is worth $69 billion.
The U.S. still boats the most billionaires in the world, at 425. Canada has 25, with David Thomson, chairman of Thomson Reuters, topping the list.
Pattison, CEO of the highly diversified Jim Pattison Group, shares fourth place this year with Montreal financier Paul Desmarais. Both are worth $4.3 billion and ranked 248th globally.
Pattison’s company was No. 1 on Business in Vancouver’s 2011 Book of Lists for the top 100 companies in the province. Pattison’s company had revenue of $7.2 billion in 2009-10.
Lululemon founder Chip Wilson ranked seventh in Canada’s list of billionaires with a net worth of worth $2.9 billion.
Among those who have dropped off Forbes’ billionaire list this year is Jim Balsillie, CEO of Research In Motion, whose market share has dropped 80%.
