It's been a good year for Canada's super rich.
According to Canadian Business magazine's latest rankings, the country's 100 wealthiest individuals clock in with a net worth of $230 billion.
As Canadian Business points out, that more than the gross domestic product of entire countries, namely New Zealand, Ireland and Portugal.
That's a cool 15 per cent jump — and the biggest since 2000.
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David Thomson
CANADA - APRIL 17: David Thomson, chairman of Thomson Reuters Corp., speaks during a news conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on Thursday, April 17, 2007. <strong>Net worth: $26.1 billion, up 30% (from last year)</strong>
Galen Weston Sr.
W. Galen Weston, Executive Chairman of grocery giant George Weston Ltd., speaks during the company's annual general meeting in Toronto on Thursday, May 9, 2013. <strong>Net worth: $10.4 billion, up 24%</strong>
Irving Family
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, left, chats with New Brunswick Premier David Alward and Arthur Irving, right, chairman of Irving Oil as he visits the Irving Oil refinery in Saint John, N.B. on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2013. <strong>Net worth: $7.85 billion, down 3%</strong>
Rogers Family
Ted Rogers , founder of Rogers Communications Inc. signing some copies of his new autobiography before delivering an address to the Economic Club of Canada luncheon at the Sheraton Hotel in Toronto. <strong>Net worth: $7.6 billion, up 18% </strong>
Jim Pattison
Vancouver businessman Jim Pattison typically plays his cards close to the vest as head of Jim Pattison Group , one of the country's largest privately owned conglomerates. <strong>Net worth: $7.39 billion, up 20%</strong>
Saputo Family
Saputo Inc. Chairman Lino Saputo addresses shareholders during the company's annual general meeting in Laval, Que., Tuesday, August 6, 2013. <strong>Net worth: $5.24 billion, up 24%</strong>
Estate of Paul Desmarais Sr.
GESCA Ltee Director Paul Desmarais appears before the Kent Commission inquiry into the news paper industry in Ottawa on April 7, 1981. Paul Desmarais Sr. died at the age of 86. <strong>Net worth: $4.93 billion, up 12%</strong>
Jeff Skoll
LOS ANGELES - SEPTEMBER 20: Jeff Skoll arrives for the Los Angeles Premiere of Paramount Vantage "Waiting For Superman" held at the Paramount Theater on September 20, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. <strong>Net worth: $4.92 billion, up 8%</strong>
Richardson Family
James Richardson & Sons manages financial services through Richardson Financial Group, property management through Richardson Center Limited, and oil and gas exploration through Tundra Oil & Gas Partnership. Richardson Financial Group consists of two operating divisions, Richardson Partners Financial Limited, and Richardson Capital. In 2009, Richardson Partners Financial merged with GMP Private Client to form Richardson GMP, a wealth management and investment services firm. <strong>Net worth: $4.45 billion, up 31%</strong>
Carlo Fidani
Carlo Fidani stands with Prime Minister Stephen Harper (left) and Ontario's Lieutenant Governor David Onley as Diamond Jubilee Medals were awarded to seventeen Canadians for outstanding service to their country, in Toronto, on Saturday January 12, 2013. <strong>Net worth: $4.08 billion, up 13%</strong>
Among the nation's wealthiest, the Thomson and Weston families have seen some of the most dramatic upticks in their fortunes. The Thomsons, who count news behemoth Thomson Reuters in their portfolio, along with a majority stake in the Globe and Mail, have seen double-digit growth in their net worth since last year — weighing in at $26.1 billion this year, compared to $20.1 billion in 2012. That's good for yet another year atop the golden heap that is Canada's richest.
At number two, grocery magnate Galen Weston — whose son Galen Jr. helms the Loblaw grocery chain — saw a jump of nearly a quarter, bringing the Weston worth to a tidy $10.4 billion.
In all, the individuals on Canadian Business magazine's Rich 100 are worth $230 billion.
It's a trend, of course, hardly confined to Canada.
Earlier this year, in a Forbes ranking of America's 400 richest people, the magazine noted total wealth surged 19 per cent in the last year to $2.02 trillion, up from $1.7 trillion. The average net worth of each person in the ranking was $5 billion. That's a solid gain from last year's $4.2 billion.
"Basically, the mega rich are mega richer," Forbes senior editor Kerry Dolan told the Associated Press.
Although, even Canada's richest have a ways to go before they crack this list:
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10. Bernard Arnault
<a href="http://www.forbes.com/billionaires/gallery/bernard-arnault? utm_source=huffingtonpost.com&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=billionaires%2B2013& partner=huffpo">Net worth: $29 billion DOWN Source: LVMH Citizenship: France</a> - Falls from no. 4 in world to no. 10 due to more information about his ownership stake. - Also a factor: Forbes now values his direct stake in Christian Dior, which in turn has a 41% stake in LVMH and trades at a near 20% discount to the underlying shares; previously we had valued the shares in LVMH. - LVMH shares rose more than 6%; U.S. sales grew at a faster rate than sales in Asia region in the fourth quarter - Arnault denied reports that his request for Belgian citizenship last year was related to the country’s tax policies. - It was announced in October that he will be knighted for his services in the U.K.
9. Liliane Bettencourt
<a href="http://www.forbes.com/billionaires/gallery/liliane-bettencourt? utm_source=huffingtonpost.com&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=billionaires%2B2013&partner=huffpo">Net worth: $30 billion UP Source: L’Oreal Citizenship: France</a> - Heiress to L’Oreal cosmetics fortune jumps to 9th richest in 2013 from 15th richest last year, thanks to a more than 30% rise in the price of L’Oreal stock. Her net worth is $6 billion higher than a year ago. - Now the world’s richest woman. She last cracked the top 10 in 1999. -Her father founded L’Oreal. Bettencourt and her family own more than 30% of the company. -Bettencourt’s assets were placed under the guardianship of her daughter in 2011 after a three-year legal battle. Bettencourt, widowed and age 90, suffers from dementia. Her grandson, Jean- Victor Meyers, took her spot on the L’Oreal board in February 2012.
8. Li Ka-shing
<a href="http://redirect.viglink.com?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc924805c0&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Fbillionaires%2Fgallery%2Fli-ka-shingutm_source%3Dhuffingtonpost.com%26amp%3Butm_medium%3Dpartner%26amp%3Butm_campaign%3Dbillionaires%252B2013%26amp%3Bpartner%3Dhuffpo">Net worth: $31 million UP Source: diversified Citizenship: Hong Kong</a> - Once again Asia’s richest person and the only one from the region among the world’s top 20 richest. - His fortune jumped $5.5 billion to $31 billion, as shares of his biggest holdings, Cheung Kong, Hutchison Whampoa and Husky Energy, all rose more than 10%. He also received 2012 dividends of $860 million. - Li's businesses employ 260,000 people around the world in 52 countries. -Li-controlled companies bought British gas supplier Wales & West Utilities for $1 billion in October; his third utilities acquisition in the U.K. in 24 months. He now supplies gas to a quarter of all Brits. - Investor in such tech outfits as Facebook, spotify, and social TV platform Stevie.
6. Charles Koch And David Koch
<a href="http://www.forbes.com/billionaires/gallery/charles- koch?utm_source=huffingtonpost.com&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=billionaires%2B2013&partner=huffpo">Net worth: $34 billion UP Source: diversified Citizenship: U.S.A.</a> - World’s richest siblings added $9 billion apiece to their fortunes over the past year. - They own a combined 84% of Koch Industries, country’s second largest private company with $115 billion in estimated sales, up 15% in the past year. - Also got boost from improving operations at Georgia Pacific, maker of Angel Soft and Quilted Northern toilet paper, Brawny paper towels, and Dixie cups. Sold more than $1 billion worth of toilet paper in 2011. - David, who runs the chemical technology side of Koch Industries, is the richest New Yorker. - Things didn’t go so well on the political front as brothers failed in their quest to unseat Barack Obama from the White House ("Bitterly disappointing," he told Forbes in an interview after the election).
5. Larry Ellison
<a href="http://www.forbes.com/billionaires/gallery/larry-ellison? utm_source=huffingtonpost.com&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=billionaires%2B2013&partner=huffpo">Net worth: $43 billion UP Source: Oracle Citizenship: U.S.A.</a> -Software mogul is $7 billion richer than a year ago, thanks to more than 20% jump in the value of Oracle stock. - In June he bought 98% of Hawaiian island of Lanai from billionaire David Murdock for a reported $500 million. -Just recently bought Island Air, a Hawaiian airline. Purchase price was not disclosed. -Continues to buy property in Malibu. -Gearing up for the America’s Cup yacht races in San Francisco later in 2013. -Supports the Ellison Medical Foundation, which does research on aging and age-related diseases. Gave $45 million worth of Oracle shares to the foundation in April 2012.
4. Warren Buffett
<a href="http://www.forbes.com/billionaires/gallery/warren-buffett? utm_source=huffingtonpost.com&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=billionaires%2B2013&partner=huffpo">Net worth: $53.5 billion UP Source: Berkshire Hathaway Citzenship: U.S.A.</a> - Year’s second biggest gainer added $9.5 billion to his fortune as Berkshire Hathaway shares rose 26% year over year -First time he’s not among top 3 richest since 2000. - Investors applaud his dealmaking savvy, and this year was no exception as he made a couple of notable moves: in February, announced a deal with Brazilian billionaire Jorge Paulo Lemann's 3G Capital to snap up iconic ketchup producer H.J. Heinz Co. for $23.2 billion; bought Oriental Trading in November 2012. - World’s second most generous person, he gave $1.5 billion to the Gates Foundation in July 2012, bringing his lifetime giving to nearly $17.3 billion. On his birthday in August 2012 Buffett pledged $3 billion of stock to his children's foundations.
3. Amancio Ortega
<a href="http://www.forbes.com/billionaires/gallery/amancio-ortega? utm_source=huffingtonpost.com&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=billionaires%2B2013&partner=huffpo">Net worth: $57 billion UP Source: Zara Citizenship: Spain</a> - Year’s biggest gainer: fortune up $19.5 billion - Moves to number 3, up from number 5 richest last year. Now ahead of Warren Buffett. - Driving the jump is a more than 50% rise in value of Inditex shares; Ortega, who stepped down as the firm’s chairman in 2011, still owns nearly 60% of the shares. - He also has real estate portfolio, estimated to be worth more than $4 billion, that includes iconic Torre Picasso, a 43-story skyscraper in Madrid (Google is a tenant), plus properties in Madrid, London, Chicago, San Francisco and New York.
2. Bill Gates
<a href="http://www.forbes.com/billionaires/gallery/bill-gates? utm_source=huffingtonpost.com&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=billionaires%2B2013&partner=huffpo">Net worth: $67 billion UP Source: Microsoft Citizenship: U.S.A</a> -World's biggest philanthropist has given away $28 billion, the vast majority of it to his foundation, which is working to eradicate such diseases as polio and malaria. - Net worth is up by $6 billion vs. March 2012 due to gains in his investment portfolio. Holdings include tech hygiene firm Ecolab and Mexican Coke bottler FEMSA, both up more than 20% in the past year. -Microsoft stock --he owns about 5% of the company -- accounts for just 18% of his net worth. -In February the first 12 non-Americans joined Bill Gates’ and Warren Buffett’s Giving Pledge, in which the ultra-wealthy pledge to give away at least half their net worth to charity. New pledgers include Richard Branson of the U.K. and India’s Azim Premji. -Gates recently said the only thing left on his bucket list was, "Don't die."
1. Carlos Slim Helu & Family
<a href="http://www.forbes.com/billionaires/gallery? utm_source=huffingtonpost.com&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=billionaires%2B2013&partner=huffpo">Net Worth: $73 billion UP Source: telecom Citizenship: Mexico</a> - World's richest man for the fourth year in a row. - Net worth up $4 billion versus 2012 but still $1 billion shy of his all-time record; boost came from surging stock prices at his financial arm, Grupo Financiero Inbursa, and at his Grupo Carso industrial and retail giant. - Pan-Latin American mobile telecom outfit America Movil remains his most valuable holding at $36.3 billion; the company spread its wings to Europe in the past year, buying pieces of Dutch telecom company KPN and Telekom Austria - Bought a majority of struggling Spanish soccer team Real Oviedo. - Latin America’s most generous person, his foundation pledged to translate into Spanish 1,000 videos from the Khan Academy education nonprofit website. Slim also hosted Bill Gates in late February; the two men announced they are funding research to improve farmers' yields and reduce hunger.
In America, 400 of the country's wealthiest people are worth more than the entire bottom half of the country combined — or around $2 trillion.
The top 25 wealthiest people in Canada according to Canadian Business are:
1) The Thomson Family, Toronto - $26.1 billion
2) Galen Weston, Toronto - $10.4 billion
3) The Irving Family, Saint John - $7.85 billion
4) The Rogers Family, Toronto - $7.6 billion
5) James Pattison, Vancouver - $7.39 billion
6) Saputo Famiy, Montreal - $5.24 billion
7) Estate of Paul Desmarais, Sr., Montreal - $4.93 billion
8) Jeffrey S. Skoll, Palo Alot, Calif. - $4.92 billion
9) Richardson Family, Winnipeg - $4.45 billion
10) Carlo Fidani, Toronto - $4.08 billion
11) Dennis "Chip" Wilson, Vancouver - value not disclosed as the Lululemon founder sells shares
12) David Azrieli, Montreal - $3.54 billion
13) Fred and Ron Mannix, Calgary - $3.46 billion
14) Harrison McCain Family (excluding Wallace), Florenceville, N.S. - $3.45 billion
15) Bernard Sherman, Toronto - $3.27 billion
16) Clay Riddell, Calgary - $3.26 billion
17) Daryl Katz, Edmonton - $3.15 billion
18) Estate of Wallace McCain, Toronto - $3.12 billion
19) Frank Stronach, Oberwaltersdorf, Austra - $3.12 billion
20) Sobey Family, New Glasgow, N.S. - $2.95 billion
21) Zekelman Famiy, Windsor and Bloomfield Hills, MI - $2.91 billion
22) Bombardier Family, Montreal - $2.8 billion
23) Lalji Family, Vancouver - $2.56 billion
24) (Norman) Murray Edwards, Calgary - $2.5 billion
25) Charles Bronfman, New York and Palm Beach - $2.46 billion