David Thomson is a Canadian hereditary peer and media magnate. Upon the death of his father in 2006, Thomson became the chairman of Thomson Corporation and also inherited his father's British title, Baron Thomson of Fleet. After the acquisition of Reuters in 2008, Thomson became the chairman of the merged entity, Thomson Reuters.

David has been listed among the wealthiest individuals across the globe, with a net worth of around $ 42.3 billion. His family is one of the richest not only in Canada but worldwide. In 2020, Forbes listed him as the 24th wealthiest person in the world.

He was born on 12 June 1957, in Toronto, Ontario, the eldest child of Kenneth Thomson, 2nd Baron Thomson of Fleet and his wife, Marilyn Lavis. He has a sister named Taylor Thomson, and his brother, Peter Thomson.

In 1978, Thomson received his Bachelor of Arts (subsequently upgraded to an MA Cantab) at Selwyn College, Cambridge where he studied history. As a child, he attended both Upper Canada College and the Hall School.

Thomson started his business career as a junior associate at McLeod Young Weir in Toronto. He left the firm to enter the family business, working in a number of positions in companies controlled by the Thomson family.

David Thomson and his family control a media and publishing empire founded by his grandfather Roy Thomson. Woodbridge, a private holding company in Canada runs the family business, holding more than 320 million shares of Thomson Reuters, where Thomson serves as chairman. Peter Thomson, David’s brother, is the co-chair at Woodbridge and holds assets of the 7 grandchildren of Roy Thomson. Stocks of Thomson Reuters make for 70% of the total fortune of the family. The family also holds a stake in telecom giant Bell Canada and own the Toronto-based Globe and Mail newspaper.

David had expanded his Thomson Reuters on a global level, employing around 55,000 people across 100 countries. But he also has diverse business interests. He is an active participant in the real estate business. David is the founder and owner of the real estate firm Osmington Incorporated, operated outside of the Thomson empire. Osmington is a major investor in FarmersEdge, a precision agriculture company. Osmington is also a partner in True North Sports and Entertainment, owners of the National Hockey League's Winnipeg Jets and the Bell MTS Place in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba.

David Thomson leads an unconventional lifestyle, different from most other wealthy individuals. He always avoids interviews and does not like the media to peep into his private life. David is an avid art collector and owns the world's top collections to boasts, including the Pablo Picasso art pieces and some of the best masterpieces of John Constable.

Like his mother, David is also a patron of the Art Gallery of Ontario. He also offers support to several art foundations in Canada. With the death of his father, he became the 3rd Baron Thomson of Fleet on 12 June 2006. He does not use this title in Canada. David likes to maintain a low profile and seldom makes public appearances.

With his continuing efforts and innovations, David has yet to make several developments in his business, and bring his family name to new heights of wealth and success!

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