Net Worth

John Risley is rich. Very rich. A university dropout who aspired, as a boy, to become a millionaire, Risley has evolved into one of Canada’s most dynamic, risk-taking entrepreneurs—the co-creator and visionary behind three global companies, and an investor in businesses spanning space technology, electric vehicles, and biofuels. Though most often associated with Clearwater and the seafood sector (where his ideas transformed the Atlantic Canadian lobster industry into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise), John Risley acquired most of his wealth through unrelated businesses, including a huge gamble in Caribbean telecommunications. His name has become synonymous with conspicuous consumption; he spends extravagantly on houses, superyachts, private jets, prized Canadian artwork, and charitable causes.

Drawing on extensive research and interviews with family, long-time friends, and key business partners, as well as more than a dozen interviews with Risley himself, award-winning author Quentin Casey details how Risley became rich: how he built his businesses and made his fortune—and the luxuries it has provided him. Through expert storytelling and twenty black-and-white photos, Net Worth also explores the cost of amassing that wealth, and the personal price Risley has paid for his relentless pursuit of the next big deal.