Report

Largest Family Offices in Toronto 2026

By Daniel Schmid, Senior Analyst
Largest Family Office in Toronto: A 2026 Guide to the City's Top Wealth Platforms
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Key Facts

  • Toronto has the highest concentration of family offices of any Canadian city. These span single family offices (SFOs), multi-family offices (MFOs), and bank-affiliated programs.
  • The Woodbridge Company, the Thomson family's SFO, leads Dakota's 2026 ranking of Canadian family offices with $54 billion in AUM. This makes it the largest family office in Toronto and in Canada in that ranking.
  • Canada counts over 100 family offices in total, with 81 identified MFOs and 70-plus SFOs operating nationally.
  • Toronto-based MFOs such as Our Family Office ($4.1 billion in assets under advisement) anchor the city's multi-family segment, with Northland Wealth Management nearby in Oakville.
  • Private markets now account for 29% of the average family office portfolio. Direct private equity is the most popular new asset class.
  • Nearly 47% of North American family offices expect a generational wealth transfer within the next decade, according to RBC and Campden Wealth's 2025 survey. This drives demand for succession planning and family oversight services.

Toronto's Family Office Landscape

Toronto is Canada's primary hub for ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) wealth management. The city's Bay Street corridor, home to the country's largest banks and asset managers, concentrates more family offices than any other Canadian metro area. These include dynastic SFOs like The Woodbridge Company and Wittington Investments, independent MFOs, and bank programs from TD, BMO, CIBC, and RBC.

Several factors fuel this density. The Thomson family controls Thomson Reuters through Woodbridge, and Forbes counts six billionaire heirs to the family's media and publishing fortune. The Weston family controls Loblaw Companies and George Weston Limited through Wittington Investments, also based in the city. The Tanenbaum family's Kilmer Group has operated from Toronto for over 75 years.

These legacy dynasties anchor a wealth ecosystem that also draws newer entrants, from tech founders to immigrant families relocating capital to Canada. The Canadian family office industry remains in an early growth phase compared to the United States or Singapore. Many wealthy Canadian families still manage assets through holding companies or trust structures rather than formal offices.

Yet the shift is picking up speed. Younger heirs prefer dedicated wealth platforms. The MFO sector has expanded to 81 identified firms nationally, with Toronto claiming the largest share.

Family Office Comparison

Toronto's largest family offices range from dynasty-scale holding vehicles to specialized MFOs serving dozens of affluent families. The table below compares the major offices with a Toronto presence, sorted by AUM where data is available.

Family Office Type AUM Estimate Investment Focus Services Location
The Woodbridge Company SFO $54B (Dakota) Media, Thomson Reuters (about 68% stake) Investment holding Toronto
Our Family Office MFO $4.1B AUA Tax-efficient investment management Full service, tax, charitable giving, risk Toronto
Northland Wealth Management MFO — Diversified investing, estate planning Financial planning, family governance, succession Oakville/Calgary
Wittington Investments SFO — Retail, food (Loblaw, George Weston) Investment holding Toronto
Westerkirk Capital SFO — Hospitality, aviation, real estate Investment holding Toronto
The Kilmer Group SFO — Real estate, sports, private equity Investment holding Toronto
Northwood Family Office MFO — Integrated planning, investment management Planning, administration, family engagement Toronto
Richter Family Office MFO — Full spectrum wealth management Oversight, estate, tax, real estate Toronto/Montreal/Chicago
Tacita Capital MFO — Tax-optimized portfolios Portfolio management, tax-conscious investing Toronto
TD Wealth Family Office Bank — Investment, wealth planning Private banking, family oversight, charitable giving Toronto

AUM data remains scarce for most Toronto offices. Family offices in Canada face no licensing requirement and rarely disclose assets publicly. The SFO segment is dominated by Woodbridge, which Dakota lists at $54 billion, far ahead of every other office in its Canadian ranking. Among MFOs, Our Family Office leads the table with $4.1 billion in assets under advisement.

Top Picks by Strategy

  • Largest AUM: The Woodbridge Company tops Dakota's 2026 ranking of Canadian family offices by a wide margin, with $54 billion in AUM tied primarily to its stake of about 68% in Thomson Reuters.
  • Best for Tax-Efficient Investing: Tacita Capital builds tax-optimized, open-architecture portfolios blending traditional and alternative investments for Toronto-based families.
  • Strongest MFO Platform: Our Family Office earned the 2025 Global Multi-Family Office Team of the Year award and the 2024 Best Tax Advisor in North America distinction. The firm reports $4.1 billion in assets under advisement.
  • Top Real Estate Allocator: The Kilmer Group invests heavily in Toronto real estate, sports, and entertainment, with a 75-year track record under the Tanenbaum family.
  • Leading Independent Advisory: Richter Family Office operates as one of Canada's largest fully independent MFOs, with a century of experience and offices in Toronto, Montreal, and Chicago.
  • Best for Integrated Family Planning: Northwood Family Office combines investment management, wealth administration, and family engagement under one roof, serving UHNW families since 2003.
  • Top Bank-Affiliated Option: TD Wealth Family Office provides a full suite of private banking, credit solutions, and charitable giving services backed by TD's national branch network.

Map of Canada with Toronto marked as a family office hub

Top 10 Family Offices in Toronto in Detail

The Woodbridge Company

No discussion of the largest family office in Toronto is complete without Woodbridge. Dakota puts the Thomson family's investment vehicle at $54 billion in AUM, anchored by a controlling stake of about 68% in Thomson Reuters. David Thomson, chairman of Thomson Reuters, is one of six billionaire heirs to the Thomson fortune, and Forbes put his own net worth at $8.1 billion on 25 October 2026.

Woodbridge operates as a private holding company rather than a service-oriented office. It concentrates capital in media and information services. Sherry Brydson, a Thomson grandchild, holds the single largest individual share of Woodbridge through her own SFO, Westerkirk Capital. For families studying how dynastic wealth preservation works at scale, Woodbridge offers the most prominent Canadian model.

Wittington Investments Limited

The Weston family's investment arm controls two of Canada's biggest consumer brands: Loblaw Companies and George Weston Limited. Galen G. Weston Jr. serves as CEO. Wittington functions as a holding company, channeling retail and food-industry profits into a diversified portfolio.

The office's strength lies in operating control of major enterprises rather than passive fund allocation. Families with significant operating businesses will recognize this model: maintain direct ownership, centralize oversight, and reinvest within a tight industry focus.

Westerkirk Capital

Sherry Brydson ranks among Canada's wealthiest people; Forbes put her net worth at $13.3 billion on 25 October 2026. Her SFO, Westerkirk Capital, invests in hospitality, aviation, and real estate from its Toronto base. Despite her wealth, Brydson maintains a deliberately low profile.

Westerkirk's portfolio reflects a preference for tangible assets and operating businesses rather than financial-market exposure. The office shows how a branch of a larger dynasty can pursue an independent strategy while retaining a major stake in the parent entity.

The Kilmer Group

Few Toronto families match the Tanenbaum family's 75-year investment legacy. The Kilmer Group, their private investment firm, spans real estate, sports and entertainment, and private equity. Lawrence M. Tanenbaum built one of Toronto's most diversified SFOs over that period.

Deep involvement in the GTA real estate market and sports ownership interests set Kilmer apart from purely financial wealth platforms. Families with legacy ties to real estate and community assets will find this model relevant.

Our Family Office

Toronto's largest independent MFO by disclosed assets manages $4.1 billion in assets under advisement. Co-founded by Neil Nisker and Tim Cestnick, Our Family Office won the 2025 Global Multi-Family Office Team of the Year award. Services span investment management, tax optimization, strategic charitable giving, risk management, and family continuity planning.

The "integrated shared family office" model lets multiple families access institutional-grade services without the overhead of a standalone SFO. The firm says it best serves families with more than $20 million in liquid assets.

Northwood Family Office

Northwood stands as Toronto's best-known MFO for integrated planning. Co-founded by Tom McCullough in 2003, the firm combines investment management, wealth administration, and family engagement. This approach treats financial capital and family relationships as equally important. CI Financial acquired Northwood in 2022, and in 2026 Northwood became part of the Canadian launch of Corient, CI's wealth management firm.

The firm's editorial presence and thought leadership give it outsized visibility relative to its disclosed assets.

Richter Family Office

Richter serves as one of Canada's largest fully independent multi-family advisory firms, with over a century of experience. Its family office arm provides investment management through RFO Capital, along with estate and tax planning, real estate advisory, digital security reviews, and a financial literacy program for next-generation family members. Offices in Toronto, Montreal, and Chicago give it cross-border reach.

Independence means Richter is not tied to any single bank or product platform. It uses open-architecture investment sourcing to access global opportunities. Families needing a single integrator for complex, multi-jurisdictional wealth structures should evaluate Richter's breadth of in-house expertise.

Tacita Capital

Tax-efficient portfolio management is Tacita Capital's sole focus. The Toronto MFO, founded by Michael Nairne, uses an open-architecture approach. It blends traditional, alternative, and private investments to minimize tax drag.

This focus makes Tacita a strong fit for families whose primary concern is after-tax returns rather than full-service support. The firm does not try to be all things to all clients, a deliberate choice that keeps its investment mandate sharp.

Thomvest

With 98 investments since 1996 and $750 million in reported assets under management, Thomvest is the Thomson dynasty's venture arm. Peter J. Thomson's SFO targets fintech, proptech, digital security, and cloud systems. This makes it the most venture-oriented family office in the Thomson portfolio.

Thomvest functions as a growth-stage investor rather than a passive wealth preserver. Tech founders seeking co-investment partners with deep sector knowledge and patient capital should note Thomvest's track record.

TD Wealth Family Office

TD's family office program combines private banking, credit solutions, and wealth planning under one institution. The program benefits from TD's national branch network and resources, offering scale that independent MFOs cannot match.

However, bank affiliation means advisory independence is more limited than at firms like Richter. Families who already bank with TD and want a single-institution relationship will find the integration seamless.

Direct Deals in the Lower Middle Market

Toronto family offices are buying businesses outright rather than allocating to third-party funds. Matbridge Investments made three acquisitions in 2024 alone, including Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery, and also invested in Subterra Renewables, according to its Axial profile. Obelysk completed five buyouts in industrial services and light manufacturing.

Private markets now represent 29% of the average family office portfolio. Across North American family offices, direct private equity has become the most popular asset class for new capital deployment.

Climate Tech and Impact Investing

Thistledown Capital, founded in 2019 by Shopify creator Tobias Lütke, channels family wealth into climate tech, geoengineering, and material sciences. About 25% of North American family offices report engaging in responsible investing, though that figure dipped slightly from 28% in 2024.

Almost 90% of North American family offices make philanthropic donations, averaging US$15 million a year. Many Toronto-based firms now blend impact mandates with return targets, using direct investments in local cleantech startups alongside traditional portfolios.

AI and Automated Reporting

Generative AI adoption among family offices jumped from 11% in 2024 to 29% in 2025. The primary use cases are investment reporting and portfolio analysis. Automated investment reporting reached 69% adoption, up from 46% the prior year.

Toronto offices, surrounded by Canada's largest tech talent pool, adopt these tools faster than offices in Calgary or Montreal. This shift reduces manual processes and lowers operating costs for smaller MFOs competing against bank-affiliated programs like TD Wealth.

Succession Planning Urgency

Nearly 47% of North American family offices expect a generational wealth transfer within the next decade, according to the RBC and Campden Wealth North America Family Office Report 2025. In response, 69% now have formal succession plans, up from 53% previously. Toronto's concentration of oversight-focused MFOs like Northwood and Richter reflects this demand.

Financial literacy programs, family charters, and next-generation engagement frameworks are now standard offerings at Toronto MFOs rather than add-ons. Our Family Office and Richter both include these in their core service packages.

How to Evaluate a Family Office in Toronto

Toronto's density of options creates a selection challenge that smaller Canadian markets do not face. Families here can choose among dynastic SFOs, independent MFOs, bank-affiliated programs from all six major Canadian banks, and advisory-firm offices from KPMG, EY, and PwC. The first filter is whether you need investment-only management or a full-service platform covering tax, estate planning, and charitable giving.

Tacita Capital, for example, specializes purely in portfolio management. In contrast, Richter and Our Family Office provide integrated suites that bundle tax optimization, succession planning, and investment oversight.

Independence matters more in Toronto than in cities with fewer choices. Bank-affiliated offices such as TD Wealth offer institutional scale but may steer families toward proprietary products. Independent MFOs like Richter use open-architecture approaches, sourcing from a broader market. Families should verify whether an office earns revenue from product distribution or purely from advisory fees.

Cross-border complexity is another Toronto-specific factor. Many Toronto families hold U.S. real estate, operate businesses in multiple provinces, or have members with dual citizenship. Richter's Chicago presence lets it handle Income Tax Act and IRS compliance at the same time. Families without cross-border needs may find a purely domestic office more cost-effective.

Finally, evaluate digital security practices. Family offices in Canada must comply with FINTRAC reporting and PIPEDA privacy rules, but standards vary widely. Richter offers dedicated digital security assessments. As a benchmark, 69% of family offices now use automated investment reporting. Offices still relying on manual spreadsheets signal operational risk.

Which Family Office Fits Your Needs?

UHNW families with $50 million or more in liquid assets and complex structures spanning real estate, operating companies, and multi-jurisdictional holdings should focus on full-service MFOs. Our Family Office and Richter both provide integrated tax, estate, and investment management under one roof. Our Family Office's 2025 Global Team of the Year award and Richter's century of advisory experience make them the strongest independent options in Toronto.

Business owners planning a liquidity event or generational transition face different priorities. Northwood Family Office helps families define post-sale wealth structures and family oversight frameworks. Thomvest, with its record of 98 investments, can serve as a co-investment partner for entrepreneurs who want to redeploy exit proceeds into tech-stage companies. TD Wealth offers private banking and credit solutions that complement a transition, especially for families already in the TD ecosystem.

Tacita Capital suits families focused purely on tax-efficient investing without the complexity of full family office services. For families relocating to Toronto from abroad, Richter's cross-border presence and KPMG's global advisory network can ease the transition into Canadian tax and regulatory frameworks.

Methodology

This article profiles the largest family office in Toronto and surrounding Canadian offices using publicly available data from industry databases, family office directories, and firm disclosures as of 2025. AUM figures reflect the most recent confirmed data. Where AUM is undisclosed, offices are evaluated on investment focus, service breadth, and market presence. Office counts for Toronto draw on geographic distribution data from multiple industry sources. Only offices with verified data appear in profiles and the comparison table. No AUM figures or deal counts have been estimated or invented. Regulatory information reflects Canadian federal and Ontario provincial frameworks current as of early 2026.

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