Mitchell Goldhar Net Worth

Mitchell Goldhar has an estimated net worth of $2.8 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Mitchell Goldhar profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $2.7 billion in 2019.

Mitchell Goldhar is a Canadian businessman best known for building SmartCentres and developing retail real estate. He founded the company in the early 1990s and focused on shopping centers tied to major retailers. A key turning point came in 1994, when he got Walmart to open its first store in Canada. That deal helped launch a long run of projects, and he later built 175 Walmart stores across the country.

His wealth comes mainly from real estate. Over 2 decades, SmartCentres developed more than 265 shopping centers. In 2015, he sold most of SmartCentres' assets to SmartREIT, formerly Calloway REIT, for about $880 million in shares, cash and assumed debt. He chairs SmartREIT and also owns other Canadian developments through Penguin Investments. Forbes put his net worth at $2.8 billion on its real-time tracker as of October 20, 2026.

How Mitchell Goldhar built his fortune

Goldhar made his name in Canadian retail real estate. Through SmartCentres, he developed shopping malls anchored by Walmart, a model that gave the company a clear lane for expansion. His 1994 Walmart breakthrough mattered because it opened the door to a national buildout. He went on to build 175 Walmart stores, and over the next 2 decades SmartCentres developed more than 265 shopping centers.

His money now comes from several related holdings. In 2015, he sold most of SmartCentres' assets to SmartREIT for about $880 million in shares, cash and assumed debt. He stayed deeply involved and serves as chair of SmartREIT. He also holds projects across Canada through Penguin Investments, including a stake with SmartREIT in the 100-acre Vaughan Metropolitan Centre development north of Toronto.

Forbes net worth and other business interests

Forbes has tracked Goldhar's fortune through several swings. It estimated his wealth at $2.7 billion in 2025 and $2.9 billion in 2026 on the World's Billionaires List. On Forbes' real-time billionaires tracker, he stood at $2.8 billion as of October 20, 2026. Those estimates line up with a fortune tied mainly to real estate holdings, public market exposure through SmartREIT, and private development assets in Canada.

Real estate is the core of the story, but it is not his only high-profile interest. Since August 2009, he has owned Maccabi Tel Aviv FC, which won the Israeli club league in 2019. He studied political science at York University and teaches a real estate development course at the University of Toronto. Those roles add to his public profile, but the main source of his wealth remains the property business he built.