Isadore Sharp

Infobox Celebrity


image_size = 150px
name = Isadore Sharp
imagesize = 150px
caption =
birth_date = Birth date and age|1931|10|8|df=y
birth_place = Toronto
death_date =
death_place =
occupation = Founder, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer
salary = $2.1 million
networth = $460 million
spouse = Rosalie Wise
children = 4
website = [http://www.fourseasons.com Four Seasons Hotel & Resorts]
footnotes =

Isadore "Issy" Sharp, O.C. (born October 8, 1931) is a Canadian businessman and founder, chairman and CEO of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.

In 1952, he graduated from Ryerson University with a degree in architecture. He founded the Four Seasons Hotel in 1960 and opened the first hotel on Jarvis Street in downtown Toronto in 1961.

He helped start and is Director of the Terry Fox Run.

He married Rosalie Wise and they have three sons, Jordan, Gregory and Anthony. They lost a fourth son, Christopher, to melanoma cancer in 1978. A Ty Beanie Baby named Issy was produced in 2001 in Christopher's memory [ [http://aboutbeanies.com/display.cgi?bn=00694 Issy (Washington, DC) the Bear Ty Beanie Baby ] ] . 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.

On November 6, 2006, Bill Gates, through his holding company Cascade Investments LLC, and Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal made an offer to take Four Seasons Hotels private (buyout) for US$3.4 billion (excluding debt). [ [http://www.globeinvestor.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061106.wfourseasons1106/GIStory globeandmail.com: __Index Out of Bounds ] ] [ [http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Story.aspx?guid={42FD3677-533D-4E86-9C96-257CEE6D327D}&siteId=mktw Four Seasons gets $3.7 billion bid from CEO, Gates, Bin Talal - MarketWatch ] ] 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 had a net worth of $460 million CDN in 2006. ^{[http://www.canadianbusiness.com/after_hours/lifestyle_activities/article.jsp?content=20061204_83955_83955&page=9]}

He and his wife Rosalie are prominent Canadian philanthropists, having made significant donations to many sources including the Four Seasons Center for the Performing Arts [ [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Page/document/v5/content/subscribe?user_URL=http://www.theglobeandmail.com%2Fservlet%2Fstory%2FRTGAM.20080307.wopera07%2FBNStory%2FEntertainment%2F%3Fpage%3Drss%26id%3DRTGAM.20080307.wopera07&ord=74542715&brand=theglobeandmail&force_login=true globeandmail.com: Arts ] ] , the Ontario College of Art and Design [ [http://www.ocad.ca/about_ocad/support_ocad/make_a_donation/ideas_need_space.htm OCAD - About OCAD - Support OCAD - Make a Donation - Ideas Need Space ] ] , Mount Sinai Hospital [ [http://www.mtsinai.on.ca/Publications/YHRSummer2001/KimelMRI.htm Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada ] ] , and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem [ [http://www.cfhu.org/node/233 The Isadore Sharp, Einstein Doctoral Scholarships | Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University ] ] .

Honours

* In 2003 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Commerce degree from Ryerson University.
* In 1998 he was inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.
* In 1994 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the University of Toronto.
* In 1992 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.
* In 1992 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Guelph.
* In 1983 he was Ruth Hartman Frankel Humanitarian Award for his support of Terry Fox and the subsequent Terry Fox Run.

References

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