Ontario family worth a staggering $71 billion just keeps getting richer

The Ontario family overseeing one of the world's largest media empires ranks among the wealthiest in the world, and managed to accumulate over $10B in additional riches over just the past few months alone.

British-Canadian media magnate David Thomson (3rd Baron Thomson of Fleet) and his family rank as the 22nd richest on Forbes' Real-Time Billionaires list, a position the Thomsons have held since 2023 on the running index of the wealthiest individuals and families around the globe.

Back in January 2024, the Thomson family empire was worth $60.4 billion (all figures in USD). That figure had increased to $67.8B by April.

Ontario family worth jaw-dropping $67.8B tops list of world's richest people https://t.co/6vW0l9Luo0

— blogTO (@blogTO) April 2, 2024

As of May 7, the Thomson empire's value has swollen even more to $71B, cementing the family's position as the richest in Canada. Over $10B has been added to the family fortune so far this year.

The Thomson family has amassed this wealth through its control of The Woodbridge Company, the parent company of the Thomson Reuters media empire founded by Roy Thomson 90 years ago.

Thomson's business has since grown to span the globe, with media interests around the world that contribute to the family's ever-increasing wealth.

Despite his role as the patriarch in Canada's richest family, the 66-year-old David Thomson has kept a low profile since assuming the helm of the empire following his father's passing in 2006.

A Financial Post profile described the media baron as the "mysterious" and "reluctant" head of the Thomson empire, a role most of us would happy to take for just a tiny fraction of that $71 billion, if he's offering.