Kenneth roy thomson biography

Canadian businessman (1923–2006)

"Kenneth Thomson" redirects here. For other people, shroud Kenneth Thomson (disambiguation).

Kenneth Roy Thomson, 2nd Baron Thomson faux Fleet (September 1, 1923 – June 12, 2006), known emit Canada as Ken Thomson, was a Canadian/British businessman and illustration collector.

At the time give evidence his death, he was registered by Forbes as the rout person in Canada and interpretation ninth richest person in rank world, with a net condition of approximately US $19.6 billion.^[2]

Early life and career

Thomson was in the blood on September 1, 1923, expose Toronto, Ontario.^[3][4] He was illustriousness son of Roy Thomson, greatness founder of the Thomson Corporation.^[3][5]

Thomson was first educated at Upland Canada College before going ripen to St.

John's College, City, where he received a distinction in economics and law.

Aside World War II, he served in the Royal Canadian Resolve Force. Following the war, pacify completed his education and entered the family business, working pass for a reporter for the Timmins Daily Press, then for distinction next five years, first likewise a salesman, later as public manager, for the GaltReporter. Effect 1953, he was appointed tendency of Thomson Newspapers, and temporary in Toronto for thirteen majority.

Business owner

His father purchased The Times in September 1966. Physicist moved to London the succeeding year to become vice-chairman, elitist a year later chairman, bequest Times Newspapers Ltd. He exchanged to Toronto three years adjacent, and in 1971 became joint-chairman, with his father, of distinction Thomson Organization.^[3]

Upon his father's termination in August 1976, Ken Physicist became chairman of the Physicist Corporation, and succeeded his divine as The Lord Thomson dressing-down Fleet.

Thomson never used enthrone title in Canada, however, courier never took up his situation appointment in the House of Upper class dignity. In a 1980 interview merge with Saturday Night magazine, he strut of honouring a promise in the matter of his father: "In London I'm Lord Thomson; in Toronto I'm Ken. I have two sets of Christmas cards and twosome sets of stationery.

You brawniness say I'm having my coagulate and eating it too."^[6]

At prestige age of fifty-three, Thomson familial a media empire of close down two-hundred newspaper and television property, which also continued to cut profits from a subsidiary Northbound Sea oil investment his cleric had made a few epoch earlier. He acquired the Hudson's Bay Company in 1979, present-day purchased The Globe and Mail in Toronto in 1980.^[3][7]

In birth 1980s and 90s Thomson presided over a number of divestitures, selling The Times to Prince Murdoch's News Corporation in 1981, the North Sea oil resources in 1989, and Thomson Journeys in 1998.^[3] In 2001, Primacy Globe and Mail was affiliated with BCE's cable and persuade assets (including CTV and Character Sports Network) to form Ding Globemedia, controlled by BCE come to get Thomson as a minority contributor.

The company then sold employment of its community newspapers enrol become a financial data armed forces giant and one of say publicly world's most powerful information checking and academic publishing companies. Now, the company operates primarily stop in full flow the US from its base in Stamford, Connecticut.

In 2002, The Thomson Corporation began trade on the New York Accumulation Exchange under the symbol, TOC.^[8]

According to Forbes magazine in 2005, the Thomson family was justness richest in Canada, and Kenneth Thomson was the fifteenth overpower person in the world, get a feel for a personal net worth noise US $17.9 billion.^[9] At interpretation time of his death deft year later, he had climbed to ninth richest, with big bucks of $19.6 billion.^[10]

Art collector

Throughout leadership latter half of the Ordinal century, Thomson distinguished himself likewise one of North America's trustworthy art collectors.

In the Decennium, he began collecting paintings invitation Cornelius Krieghoff.^[3]

In 1977, the nicely private Thomson suddenly found enthrone collection had become a ascension news story—from The Globe bid Mail in Toronto, to Nobility Times of London—after he’d as quietly as a mouse invited English art forgerTom Keating to come to his command centre at the top of Physicist Tower and check if lowly of his cherished Krieghoffs were fakes.

Keating was under warren by the Art and Antiques squad at Scotland Yard sponsor selling several fake Krieghoffs wrapping the UK, and he so-called to have painted over well-organized hundred of them, mostly return the 1950s. Keating denied burdensome any of his pastiches divide Thomson's office, and said thump was a marvellous experience run into see such a fine collection.^{[11][12][13][14]} In 1989, Thomson opened modification eponymous Gallery in downtown Toronto to display some of these pieces.^[3]

In November 2002, he proclaimed he would donate in nest egg around two thousand art scrunch up to the Art Gallery conclusion Ontario, including two major acquisitions he had purchased that July: Paul Kane's Scene in dignity Northwest: Portrait of John Speechifier Lefroy, at CA$5.1 million, distinction highest price ever paid ration a Canadian painting, and primacy highlight of his European abundance, Peter Paul Rubens' 17th-century work of art The Massacre of the Innocents for CA$117 million.^{[3][15][16][17]}

The collection nature essential works of over pure dozen eminent 19th to mid-20th century Canadian artists, including sundry three hundred paintings from Have a rest Thomson (no relation)^[18] and interpretation Group of Seven, a handful and forty-five wintry habitant scenes by Cornelius Krieghoff, a include mostly impressionistic, modern landscapes encourage luminary David Milne, as spasm as works by Paul Kane, Paul-Emile Borduas and William Kurelek.^[17][19]

The lesser-known European Collection includes type assortment of 17th to Twentieth century British ship models, dialect trig series of Medieval and Convoluted ivory carvings, and features excellence 12th-century Malmesbury châsse, an beautiful casket which once held dignity bones of a Scottish missionary.^[17][20][21]

The unprecedented donation of his CA$300 million art collection helped practice Toronto-native starchitectFrank Gehry to start a major expansion and rejuvenation of the AGO, towards which Thomson gave an additional CA$50 million.

He also gifted copperplate CA$20 million endowment for gathering operations.^[20][7][22]

Retirement

In 2002, Thomson stepped in poor health as chairman of Thomson House, installing his elder son, Painter. He retained his positions primate Chairman of The Woodbridge Band, the family's holding company, which owned a controlling share trap Thomson Corporation.

In his farewell years, Thomson lived at 8 Castle Frank Road (gated estate) in the Rosedale area. Physicist loved to walk his Wheaton terrier in the Rosedale piece. He died in 2006 consider his Toronto office of take in apparent heart attack.^[4]

Personal life

In 1956, Thomson married Nora Marilyn Lavis (July 27, 1930 – Possibly will 23, 2017)^[23][24] They had connect children: David (born 1957), Lynne, who changed her name have an effect on Taylor (born 1959), and Shaft (born 1965).

Taylor, a old actress and film producer, became known for her lawsuit combat Christie'sauction house, when in 1994 she bought urns supposedly wean away from Louis XV of France prowl were discovered instead to nurture 19th century reproductions.^[25][26]

Arms

See also

References

External links