It was sad news today when reports broke that media mogul Ken Thomson had died. Thomson, 82, was Canada's richest man and, according to Forbes.com, 9th richest in the world, his family having amassed over $20 billion dollars. He had spent his life building upon the Thomson Corporation, the company his father Roy Thomson had begun, and his son had recently taken over. It controlled newspaper headlines around the world including The Globe and Mail in Canada and The Times in the UK.

Thomson made a mark in the art world too, with a private collection that would've made art galleries around the world envious. Always a philanthropist, Thomson donated nearly 2,000 pieces to the AGO in 2002, valued at over $300 million. His collection included those of The Group of Seven, which reminded him of growing up in North Bay, Ontario.

Beyond all his wealth, Thomson sounded like a down-to-earth guy, known for taking his dogs everywhere - they're part of the family he'd said - and forgoing his formal British title of Lord when on this side of the pond, "In London I'm Lord Thomson, in Toronto I'm Ken".

(Image: Getty)