After skipping an exam and dropping out of business school at the University of British Columbia, Jim Pattison discovered he was good at selling cars. In 1961, he started a Pontiac dealership in the Vancouver area, which became Western Canada’s most successful car dealership and helped him become a pioneer in auto leasing.
It wouldn’t be enough for Pattison, who diversified his business interests into media, owning billboards across Canada and several TV and radio stations. Jim Pattison Group is the largest privately held company in Canada and, through Jim Pattison Real Estate Group, owns and manages more than 13M SF of income-producing properties in Canada and the U.S. The real estate group works to support the other holdings and brands of the company, through development, construction, property management and investment.
Jim Pattison Group owns many brands, including Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and Guinness World Records. Pattison owns several grocery store chains, including Save-On-Foods and Vancouver Island's Quality Foods, which he purchased in March.
Pattison is Canada's 10th-richest man. His recent $75M donation to St. Paul's Hospital Foundation to build the new Jim Pattison Medical Centre was the nation's largest-ever amount given to a hospital by a private citizen. — Scott Klocksin
