Woodbridge Company Limited is the private holding company of the Thomson family of Canada, the country’s wealthiest family with an estimated net worth of approximately $50 billion. Led by David Thomson (3rd Baron Thomson of Fleet), Woodbridge controls the family’s approximately 69% voting interest in Thomson Reuters alongside a diversified portfolio of investments spanning real estate, private equity, art, and other alternative assets.
Investment Strategy
The Thomson family’s fortune traces to Roy Thomson, who began acquiring newspapers in northern Ontario in the 1930s and built an international media empire that eventually encompassed newspapers (including The Times of London), television broadcasting, and information services. The family’s pivot from traditional media to professional information services, culminating in the 2008 merger of The Thomson Corporation with Reuters Group to form Thomson Reuters, transformed the family’s wealth from a media-dependent asset to a technology and data-driven business.
Thomson Reuters generates approximately $7 billion in annual revenue providing information, software, and services to legal, tax, accounting, compliance, and news professionals. The company’s recurring revenue model and dominant market positions in legal (Westlaw) and tax (ONVIO, UltraTax) software provide stable, growing cash flows that support the family’s wealth.
Woodbridge manages the family’s investment portfolio beyond Thomson Reuters, including allocations to public equities, private equity, real estate, and alternative assets. The investment approach reflects a multi-generational perspective, with emphasis on capital preservation and steady compounding rather than aggressive returns. The family’s experience managing wealth across three generations informs a disciplined, long-term approach to asset allocation.
David Thomson is also one of the most significant art collectors in the world. His collection includes major works by European old masters, Impressionists, and Canadian artists, particularly the Group of Seven painters. The Thomson Collection, housed in part at the Art Gallery of Ontario, represents one of the most valuable private art collections globally.
Private Markets Approach
Woodbridge’s private markets program encompasses direct private equity investments, fund commitments, and significant real estate holdings. The family office has invested in private companies across North America, with a preference for businesses with stable cash flows, strong competitive positions, and potential for long-term value creation.
Real estate is a meaningful component of the Thomson family’s private holdings, including commercial and residential properties in Toronto, London, and other major markets. The family’s real estate investments tend toward premium, long-hold assets in established markets, consistent with their conservative investment philosophy.
The art collection represents a substantial alternative asset holding, with individual works valued at tens of millions of dollars. The family has been active in acquiring works at major auctions and through private sales, building one of the most important private collections assembled in the past several decades.
The Thomson family’s philanthropic activities include support for the Art Gallery of Ontario (where David Thomson serves as chairman), educational institutions, and conservation causes in Canada. The family maintains a notably private profile despite their scale, rarely speaking publicly about investment activities or family affairs.
Fund managers approaching Woodbridge should understand that the family values discretion, long-term relationships, and alignment with their conservative, multi-generational investment philosophy. The office is selective in its external commitments and favors managers with established track records, institutional quality processes, and strategies that complement the family’s existing portfolio.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Woodbridge Company Limited?
Woodbridge Company Limited is the private holding company through which the Thomson family controls its approximately 69% voting interest in Thomson Reuters. Woodbridge also manages the family's diversified investment portfolio spanning real estate, private equity, venture capital, and art. The family's wealth, estimated at approximately $50 billion, makes the Thomsons the wealthiest family in Canada.
What is the Thomson family's relationship to Thomson Reuters?
The Thomson family, through Woodbridge, holds approximately 69% of the voting power in Thomson Reuters Corporation. Thomson Reuters is a global provider of news, information, and technology services to financial, legal, tax, and media professionals, generating approximately $7 billion in annual revenue. The family's media heritage traces to Roy Thomson, who built a newspaper and broadcasting empire starting in the 1930s.
What are the Thomson family's interests beyond Thomson Reuters?
The Thomson family maintains significant investments in real estate, art, and private companies. David Thomson, the current family patriarch, is one of the world's most important art collectors, with collections spanning European old masters, Canadian art (particularly Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven), and contemporary works. The family also holds real estate in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
