Isadore Sharp | |
|---|---|
 Isadore Sharp, 1969 | |
| Born | October 8, 1931 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation(s) | Founder and Chairman, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts |
| Spouse | Rosalie Wise |
| Children | Jordan Sharp Gregory Sharp Anthony Sharp Christopher Sharp (deceased) |
| Awards | Order of Canada |
| Website | Corporate biography |
Isadore "Issy" Sharp, OC (born October 8, 1931) is a Canadian hotelier and writer. He is founder and chairman of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. [1]
Sharp was born in Toronto, the son of Polish Jewish immigrants. His father, Max, a devout Torah scholar, was a Polish Jew who emigrated from Poland to Palestine in 1920 [2] [ circular reference ], [3] [4] and finally to Toronto five years later. He worked as a plasterer until his family began to grow with the arrival of Issy and three daughters. His father's expertise was in home renovation and he often renovated homes and resold them for a profit as a real estate investor. During the summers, Sharp would obtain experience in the construction business by working for his father. He excelled in sports during his high school years. In 1952, he graduated with high marks from Ryerson Institute of Technology (now Toronto Metropolitan University) with a diploma in architectural technology. [5]
After graduating from Ryerson, Sharp went to work for his father's company full-time as an architect and real estate developer, building apartment buildings and houses. It was his work building a small 22-unit motel (Motel 27) on the outskirts of Toronto for family friend, Jack Gould, that was his introduction to the hospitality business. [6] [7] He founded the Four Seasons Hotel in 1960 [8] and opened the first hotel on Jarvis Street in downtown Toronto in 1961. [7]
On November 6, 2006, American business magnate Bill Gates, through his holding company Cascade Investments LLC, and Saudi businessman, Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal through his company Kingdom Holding Company made an offer to take Four Seasons Hotels private for US$3.4 billion (excluding debt). [9] [10] Sharp would remain chairman and chief executive of the company. He also would be able to realize proceeds from a 1989 incentive plan that would pay him $288 million; the company's headquarters would remain in Toronto.
Sharp helped start and is the director of the Terry Fox Run. He first met Terry Fox when the latter arrived in Montreal in June 1980 during his trek across the country to raise money for cancer research. Sharp invited Fox to rest in one of the city's Four Seasons hotels for a week before resuming his run, helped pay for his cancer treatment, and later pledged to contribute to research funds on his behalf. [7]
Sharp and his wife are prominent Canadian philanthropists, having made significant donations to many sources including the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, [11] the Ontario College of Art and Design, [12] Mount Sinai Hospital, [13] and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. [14]
The Sharps are spearheading a proposal to build a Jewish Museum of Canada in Toronto [15] and have pledged $20 million towards the project, towards a total fundraising goal of $150 million. [16] The museum is to feature three themed galleries with artifact and multimedia-based interactives and three immersive environments entitled: Jewish Experience, Jewish Life in Canada and The Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre. [17]
Sharp married his high school sweetheart, Rosalie Wise, who was also of Jewish descent. [18] They had four sons, Jordan, Gregory, Anthony, and Christopher. Christopher, the only one who evinced an interest in going into the family business, [19] died of melanoma in 1978. His death at least partly inspired Sharp to support Fox financially during his run. A Ty Beanie Baby named Issy was produced in 2001 in Christopher's memory. [20] All proceeds from American sales went to Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center in New York, while all Canadian proceeds went to the Terry Fox Foundation.
Sharp had a net worth of Can$540 million in 2009. [21] In 2009, Sharp summarized his experience and business philosophy in a book Four Seasons: The Story of a Business Philosophy, published by Viking Canada. [22] In 2011, a documentary about Sharp's life and achievements, The Four Seasons of Isadore Sharp, aired on City TV.
 | This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification .(June 2012) |
| This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification .(June 2012) |
Terrance Stanley Fox was a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist. In 1980, with one leg having been amputated due to cancer, he embarked on an east-to-west cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Although the spread of his cancer eventually forced him to end his quest after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 mi), and ultimately cost him his life, his efforts resulted in a lasting, worldwide legacy. The annual Terry Fox Run, first held in 1981, has grown to involve millions of participants in over 60 countries and is now the world's largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research; over C$850 million has been raised in his name as of September 2022.
Four Seasons Hotels Limited, trading as Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, is a Canadian luxury hotel and resort company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Four Seasons currently operates more than 100 hotels and resorts worldwide. Since 2007, Bill Gates and Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal have been majority owners of the company. As of January 2022, Cascade Investment owns 71.25% and Kingdom Holding Company owns 23.75%.
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