Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #12, David Thomson

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #12, David Thomson

David Thomson Photograph by Getty Images

David Thomson

Chair, Woodbridge

12Canada’s richest man almost never grants interviews, rarely attends parties and is seldom photographed. He wields clout instead through three mammoth companies. In October, his flagship corporation, Thomson Reuters, announced it would make Toronto the centre of its technology operations—a move that will create at least 400 new local tech jobs. Woodbridge, his family holding company, took full ownership of the Globe and Mail, and will soon open the doors to a new office on King Street West. Finally, his real estate firm, Osmington, controls leasing for the new Union Station concourse.

Up next:

He’ll decide how to spend the $3.55 billion Thomson Reuters made by selling its science and intellectual property products, including Web of Science and Thomson IP Manager.

Toronto's Most Influential People of 2016