Canada is home to a multitude of talented and successful celebrities. From actors, singers, and athletes to entrepreneurs and philanthropists, Canada has many celebrities who have achieved immense success in their respective fields. When it comes to wealth, there are some Canadians that stand out from the rest. Here are some of the richest celebrities in Canada.
- David Thomson – Media Mogul and Billionaire
David Thomson is one of the wealthiest Canadians alive today, with a net worth estimated at an astounding $32 billion. He is the chairman of the media giant Thomson Reuters Corporation as well as being a board director for several companies, including The Globe and Mail and The Woodbridge Company.
His family’s business empire began in 1934 when his grandfather Roy Thomson purchased The Timmins Daily Press newspaper in Timmins, Ontario – which was then sold for over $1 billion in 2000 to now-defunct Hollinger International. Over the years, David has continued to expand upon his family’s business successes by investing in more news outlets like CTV News and CHUM Radio Network (now Bell Media). He also created his own businesses like Osmington Inc., which owns real estate properties throughout North America and Europe.
- Shania Twain – Singer/Songwriter
Shania Twain is an internationally renowned Canadian singer with worldwide success, including a string of number-one singles and four multiplatinum albums with total sales of over 75 million copies. She also greatly impacted the fashion industry, inspiring many clothing lines and fragrances during her peak popularity in the late 90s. According to estimates in 2020, she holds a net worth of approximately $400 million dollars.
- Jim Carrey – Actor and Comedian
Jim Carrey started out his career performing stand-up comedy before becoming one of Hollywood’s most sought-after comedic actors, appearing in films like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), Dumb & Dumber (1994), Batman Forever (1995), Liar Liar (1997) among others popular comedies he starred in during late 90s/early 2000s era. According to recent estimates by the Celebrity Net Worth website, he currently holds a total net worth valued at approximately $150 million dollars.
- Ryan Reynolds – Actor and Producer
Ryan Reynolds started out his acting career with numerous supporting roles before finally landing leading ones such as National Lampoon’s Van Wilder (2002), Blade Trinity (2004), and Definitely Maybe(2008). That allowed him to gain popularity and gradually increase his salary, eventually earning him a spot on Forbes Magazine’s top-earning actors list in 2012, where he raked up over $20 million! Fast forward a few years later, we can see that Ryan has managed to maintain good momentum while building a solid reputation within the industry, thanks partially due to the huge success Deadpool franchise. This allowed him to amass an impressive personal fortune estimated between 130 – 160 million today.
- Michael J. Fox – Actor & Activist
Michael J. Fox is a Canadian-American actor, author, and activist. He rose to fame in the 1980s playing the lovable Alex P. Keaton on the hit sitcom Family Ties. During that time, he also starred in Back to the Future, Bright Lights Big City, and The Secret of My Success.
Since his diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease in 1991, Fox has become a major advocate for Parkinson’s research and awareness. He founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in 2000, which has become one of the largest nonprofit funders of Parkinson’s research. The foundation has raised over $900 million and funded over 2,000 projects in its quest to find a cure and better treatments for Parkinson’s patients.
Fox continues to act sporadically despite his health struggles. He briefly returned to television with Spin City from 1996-2000 and more recently had recurring roles on Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Good Wife from 2010-2016. In 2018 he received his own show on ABC called The Michael J Fox Show, which ran for one season.
Outside of acting, Fox is an avid golfer who often competes in charity golf tournaments around the world. His charitable work also includes being an ambassador for various organizations such as United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
- William Shatner – Actor and Director
William Shatner is an iconic actor, author, and singer who has made a lasting impact on popular culture. He is best known for his roles as James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise and attorney Denny Crane in The Practice and its spin-off Boston Legal.
Shatner was born in Canada on March 22nd, 1931. As a young man, he studied economics at McGill University while also participating in local theater productions. In the mid-1950s, he relocated to California to pursue a career in acting, becoming just one of several Canadian actors to make their mark in Hollywood.
Throughout his storied career, Shatner has appeared in numerous films and television shows. But it’s perhaps his role as Captain James Tiberius Kirk of the Starship Enterprise that he is best remembered for – so much so that he even went on to appear in seven Star Trek films from 1979-1994.
In addition to his extensive acting credits, Shatner has authored several books, including TekWar (1989). He also wrote an autobiography titled Up Till Now.
- Celine Dion – Singer/Songwriter & Entrepreneur
Celine Dion needs little introduction, given her massive popularity not just in her native country but also abroad after almost three decades worth of chart-topping hits spanning various genres of music! While most of her wealth came from singing, Dion also ventured into entrepreneurship, setting up numerous business ventures. According to the 2020 Celebrity Net Worth website, Celine holds a total fortune approximated at 800 million dollars.
This doesn’t make her some sugar momma, though, since she married René Angélil back in 1994, who had a personal net worth of around $400 million.
It’s no surprise that many of the richest Canadians are in the entertainment industry. From actors to singers, these celebrities have used their talents and business acumen to build impressive personal fortunes for themselves.