Jim Pattison Net Worth

Jim Pattison has an estimated net worth of $11.9 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Jim Pattison profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $6 billion in 2019.

Jim Pattison is a Canadian business owner and investor who leads the Jim Pattison Group from Vancouver, British Columbia. He is the chief executive officer, chairman, and sole owner of the company. His group is one of Canada’s biggest privately held businesses, with more than 45,000 employees worldwide and annual sales of $10.1 billion. Forbes says he is self-made. His business interests span packaging, food, entertainment, and forestry products through a wide mix of operating divisions.

His rise started in cars. While studying at the University of British Columbia, he worked around used-car lots and sold cars during the summer. In 1961, he bought a GM dealership, which became his first business. From there, he kept expanding into new areas. Over time, his group added food retail, media, farm equipment, forestry, and entertainment assets. He also helped lead Expo 86 in Vancouver, a high-profile role that raised his public profile in Canada.

How Jim Pattison built his fortune

Pattison’s wealth comes from a broad collection of businesses rather than one single company. Forbes says he oversees a large group with 20 divisions, including packaging, food, and entertainment. The Jim Pattison Group is also active in forestry products. That range matters because it spreads his business across several parts of the economy. It also helps explain why Forbes places him in the diversified industry category instead of tying his fortune to one narrow field.

His first major step came in 1961, when he bought a GM dealership. He later built far beyond auto retail. Forbes notes that he controls more than 50% of Canfor, the publicly traded forest products company. On the entertainment side, his holdings include Guinness World Records, the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! chain, and Great Wolf Lodge’s Canadian franchise rights. Earlier in his career, he also expanded into radio and television, food retail, and farm equipment dealerships.

What Forbes says about his net worth

Forbes currently values Pattison at $11.9 billion on its real-time billionaires tracker as of October 20, 2026. That places him among the richest business figures in Canada. The estimate fits the shape of his business empire, which reaches across many sectors. Because his holdings include private operations as well as a major stake in Canfor, changes in business conditions can affect how Forbes values his fortune from one period to another.

One reason his wealth gets attention is the scale and variety of the assets behind it. His group spans packaging, food, entertainment, and forestry products, while Canfor adds a major public company stake. Forbes also notes his hands-on approach, saying he still goes to work every day, including weekends. That long-running involvement has been a constant part of his career, even as the mix of businesses under the Jim Pattison name has grown over time.