A fire which saw emergency services scrambled to the centre of Preston is being treated as a suspected arson. Contractors working on the 12-14 Avenham Street site to bring the […]
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/guy-laliberte-is-honoured-with-a-ceremony-right-lawrence-stroll-takes-a-phone-call.jpg?id=56569980&width=1200&height=600&coordinates=0%2C36%2C0%2C36"/><br/><br/><p>Quebec may be known for its rich culture, but some Quebecers take "rich" to another level, ranking among the wealthiest people on Earth.</p><p>While some businesses in the province have struggled in recent years, either <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/companies-quebec-closed-bankrupt" target="_blank">shutting down or filing for bankruptcy</a>, others are thriving. In fact, 28 Quebec-based companies recently made <em>Forbes’</em> 2025 list of <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/quebec-best-companies-2025" target="_blank">Canada's best employers</a>, proving that there's still plenty of money being made.</p><p>And speaking of <em>Forbes</em>, the financial publication's <a href="https://www.forbes.com/real-time-billionaires/#7a9fde53d788" target="_blank">real-time billionaires list</a> tracks the net worth of the richest people in the world, and lots of familiar names from La Belle Province have secured their respective spots.</p><p>At the top of <em>Forbes</em>' list of richest Canadians is <a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/david-thomson/?list=rtb/" target="_blank">David Thomson & family</a>, whose staggering $74 billion fortune keeps them firmly in first place. Although no one has that kind of dough in Quebec, the most successful locals are still well-positioned among the world's financial elite.</p><p><span></span>Here are the 13 richest people in Quebec and where they rank on the global wealth scale.</p><p><em>Results are based on data collected on February 23, 2025, and are subject to change. </em><br/></p><h3>Alain Bouchard</h3><br/><p><strong>Net worth:</strong> $6.6 billion</p><p><strong>Ranking:</strong> 9th (Canada), 501st (Global)</p><p>Quebec's richest man is none other than Couche-Tard founder Alain Bouchard.</p><p>Bouchard launched his first convenience store back in 1980, laying the foundation for what would eventually become Alimentation Couche-Tard. After leading the company as President and CEO for 25 years, he stepped down in 2014 and has since held the role of executive chairman.</p><h3>Emanuele (Lino) Saputo</h3><br/><p><strong></strong><strong>Net worth: </strong>$4.1 billion</p><p><strong>Ranking:</strong> 20th (Canada), 850th (Global)</p><p>Lino Saputo and his family rank second among the richest Quebecers, boasting a combined net worth of $4.1 billion.</p><p>Born in Italy, Saputo immigrated to Canada as a child and helped transform his family's small Montreal cheese business into Saputo Inc., one of the world's largest dairy producers. Today, the company operates in more than 60 countries, producing everything from cheese and milk to yogurt and other dairy products.</p><h3>Lawrence Stroll</h3><br/><p><strong>Net worth:</strong> $3.8 billion</p><p><strong>Ranking:</strong> 22nd (Canada), 899th (Global)</p><p>Lawrence Stroll first made his name in fashion, helping take Michael Kors public in 2011 before selling off his shares. In 2018, he led a group of investors to buy the Force India Formula 1 team, later rebranding it as Aston Martin’s official F1 team after investing heavily in the luxury car brand.</p><p>The Montreal native now serves as Aston Martin's executive chairman while his son, Lance, races for the brand professionally.</p><h3>Jean Coutu</h3><br/><p><strong>Net worth: </strong>$3.8 billion</p><p><strong>Ranking:</strong> 24th (Canada), 998th (Global)</p><p>One name that just about every Quebecer will recognize is Jean Coutu. The 97-year-old pharmacist made his fortune by founding the Jean Coutu Group, one of Canada's largest pharmacy chains.</p><p>Coutu opened his first store in 1969, gradually expanding across Quebec, Ontario, and New Brunswick. By 2018, the company had grown to hundreds of locations and was acquired by Metro for $4.5 billion.</p><h3>Serge Godin</h3><br/><p><strong>Net worth:</strong> $3.3 billion</p><p><strong>Ranking: </strong>27th (Canada), 1,075th (Global)</p><p>Tech mogul Serge Godin founded CGI Group in 1976 with just one employee. Over the decades, he turned it into one of the world's largest IT and business consulting firms, with operations in over 40 countries and billions in annual revenue.</p><p>Godin stepped down as CEO in 2006 but remains chairman of the board. </p><h3>Jacques D'Amours</h3><br/><p><strong>Net worth:</strong> $3.1 billion</p><p><strong>Ranking: </strong>28th (Canada), 1,134th (Global)</p><p>Jacques D’Amours is one of the original brains behind Couche-Tard, helping build the convenience store empire alongside Alain Bouchard.</p><p>Though he's since retired from the company, his large stake in the business keeps him firmly on <em>Forbes</em>' billionaires list.</p><h3>Robert Miller</h3><br/><p><strong>Net worth: </strong>$2.6 billion</p><p><strong>Ranking:</strong> 32nd (Canada), 1,352nd (Global)</p><p>Robert Miller made his fortune in electronics distribution, co-founding Future Electronics in 1968 and later taking full control of the company. Under his leadership, it grew into a global industry leader with thousands of employees and operations worldwide.</p><p>In 2023, Miller stepped down as CEO following an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations.</p><h3>Charles Bronfman</h3><br/><p><strong>Net worth:</strong> $2.5 billion</p><p><strong>Ranking:</strong> 35th (Canada), 1,403rd (Global)</p><p>Charles Bronfman is a businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune through the Seagram liquor empire his family built.</p><p>Beyond business, Bronfman also left his mark on Montreal sports history as the founding owner of the Montreal Expos, serving as the team's majority owner from 1968 to 1991.</p><h3>Pierre Karl Péladeau</h3><br/><p><strong>Net worth:</strong> $1.9 billion</p><p><strong>Ranking: </strong>45th (Canada), 1,800th (Global)</p><p>Pierre Karl Péladeau is another name that every Quebecer knows. He made his fortune through Quebecor, the media and telecom giant behind TVA Group, Videotron, and a bunch of newspapers.</p><p>Back in 2023, the businessman also became a CFL franchise owner, purchasing the Montreal Alouettes. </p><h3>Richard Fortin</h3><br/><p><strong>Net worth: </strong>$1.7 billion</p><p><strong>Ranking:</strong> 49th (Canada), 1,920th (Global)</p><p>Like two other names on this list, Richard Fortin is a co-founder of the convenience store empire Couche-Tard.</p><p>Fortin also holds significant stakes in the National Bank of Canada and Canadian packaging and publishing company Transcontinental.</p><h3>Sharon Azraeli</h3><br/><p><strong>Net worth:</strong> $1.7 billion</p><p><strong>Ranking:</strong> 53rd (Canada), 1,961st (Global)</p><p>Sharon Azraeli is a Montreal-based real estate mogul, philanthropist, and opera singer. As the daughter of David Azrieli, she and her sister Naomi play key roles in the Azrieli Group, one of Canada's largest property developers.</p><h3>Stephen Jarislowsky</h3><br/><p><strong>Net worth: </strong>$1.5 billion</p><p><strong>Ranking:</strong> 58th (Canada), 2,189th (Global)</p><p>Stephen Jarislowsky is most famous for founding the investment management firm Jarislowsky Fraser in the 1950s. </p><p>The 99-year-old Germany native stepped down as CEO in 2012 and sold the firm to Scotiabank for about $750 million in 2018.</p><h3>Guy Laliberté</h3><br/><p><strong>Net worth:</strong> $1.2 billion</p><p><strong>Ranking:</strong> 63rd (Canada), 2,465th (Global)</p><p>Guy Laliberté took a bunch of street performers and built a global empire. As the founder of Cirque du Soleil, he redefined live entertainment, turning it into a billion-dollar industry.</p><p>The 65-year-old Quebec City native sold most of the company in 2015 but is still involved in entertainment and philanthropy. He's also a part-time poker player and astronaut.</p>
