Sunday, December 17th., 2017
Canadian pharmaceutical billionaire and wife found dead in Toronto in 'suspicious' circumstances
Police
are investigating whether one of Canada's richest men may have killed
his wife before committing suicide, according to reports.
Barry Sherman, 75, the founder of pharmaceutical giant Apotex, and his wife Honey, were discovered hanging side by side near their indoor swimming pool in Toronto.
A police source told the Toronto Sun: "Forensics need to be done and
post-mortems on the bodies, but at this stage it appears there was no
forced entry and no evidence of anybody else in the house."
Barry Sherman, 75, the founder of pharmaceutical giant Apotex, and his wife Honey, were discovered hanging side by side near their indoor swimming pool in Toronto.
Canada’s Globe and Mail and
Toronto Sun newspapers reported that police were investigating whether
Sherman killed his wife and hung her body before killing himself.
Their
$5.4 million six-bedroom, nine-bathroom home had been put up for sale 18
days ago and an estate agent discovered the couple.
Mr Sherman, with a fortune Forbes estimated at $3.2 billion, was a prominent donor to prime minister Justin Trudeau's ruling Liberal Party.
During Canada's 2015 national election campaign he held a fundraiser at the couple’s home which included Mr Trudeau.
The event became the subject of a probe by Canada’s lobbying commissioner as to whether Mr Sherman breached rules against fundraising and lobbying.
Justin TrudeauΕπαληθευμένος λογαριασμός @JustinTrudeau
Justin TrudeauΕπαληθευμένος λογαριασμός @JustinTrudeau
Mr Sherman, with a fortune Forbes estimated at $3.2 billion, was a prominent donor to prime minister Justin Trudeau's ruling Liberal Party.
During Canada's 2015 national election campaign he held a fundraiser at the couple’s home which included Mr Trudeau.
The event became the subject of a probe by Canada’s lobbying commissioner as to whether Mr Sherman breached rules against fundraising and lobbying.
Justin TrudeauΕπαληθευμένος λογαριασμός @JustinTrudeau
Sophie and I are saddened by news of the sudden passing of Barry and Honey Sherman. Our condolences to their family & friends, and to everyone touched by their vision & spirit.
Justin TrudeauΕπαληθευμένος λογαριασμός @JustinTrudeau
Sophie et moi sommes attristés d’apprendre le décès subit de Barry et Honey Sherman. Nos condoléances à leur famille et à leurs amis ainsi qu’à tous ceux qui ont été touchés par leur vision et leur esprit.
Earlier
this year, Apotex sought a judicial review in a bid to quash the
investigation, which the company called an “unanchored fishing
expedition".
Mr
Sherman was also involved in a series of lawsuits, including a
decade-long battle with cousins seeking compensation over allegations he
cut them out of the company that would make him rich.
A judge dismissed that lawsuit in September, but the cousins reportedly planned to appeal the ruling.
Mr Sherman began his career as an executive in the pharmaceutical industry when in 1967 he bought a company his late uncle, Louis Winter, established called Empire Laboratories.
In 1974, Mr Sherman founded Apotex, not the world’s seventh-largest drug-maker that exports more than 300 generic pharmaceutical drugs to more than 115 countries.
He stepped down as chief executive in 2012, but stayed on as chairman.
Mr Sherman and his wife, who had four children, were also known for their philanthropy.
He had donated tens of millions of dollars to the United Jewish Appeal, and Mrs Sherman was a board member of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
Mr Trudeau wrote on Twitter that he and his wife, Sophie were "saddened by news of the passing of Barry and Honey Sherman. Our condolences to their family and friends, and to everyone touched by their vision and spirit."
In a statement Apotex said: "We are deeply shocked and saddened by this news and our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time."
A judge dismissed that lawsuit in September, but the cousins reportedly planned to appeal the ruling.
Mr Sherman began his career as an executive in the pharmaceutical industry when in 1967 he bought a company his late uncle, Louis Winter, established called Empire Laboratories.
In 1974, Mr Sherman founded Apotex, not the world’s seventh-largest drug-maker that exports more than 300 generic pharmaceutical drugs to more than 115 countries.
He stepped down as chief executive in 2012, but stayed on as chairman.
Mr Sherman and his wife, who had four children, were also known for their philanthropy.
He had donated tens of millions of dollars to the United Jewish Appeal, and Mrs Sherman was a board member of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
Mr Trudeau wrote on Twitter that he and his wife, Sophie were "saddened by news of the passing of Barry and Honey Sherman. Our condolences to their family and friends, and to everyone touched by their vision and spirit."
In a statement Apotex said: "We are deeply shocked and saddened by this news and our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time."
The
National Post reported that Mr Sherman did not show up for work on
Thursday, “an unusual occurrence for the work-obsessed man," according
to friends.
He was also known to eschew the trappings of his enormous wealth, preferring to drive a “beat-up old car” and not fly business class, and was “famous for being cantankerous” in contrast to Mrs Sherman’s "warm personality," the National Post reported.
He was also known to eschew the trappings of his enormous wealth, preferring to drive a “beat-up old car” and not fly business class, and was “famous for being cantankerous” in contrast to Mrs Sherman’s "warm personality," the National Post reported.