M itchell Goldhar is a Canadian real estate billionaire who built his fortune by pioneering the development of big-box retail centers in Canada. He is the founder and executive chairman of SmartCentres REIT, one of Canada's largest real estate investment trusts. His career-defining move came in the early 1990s when he forged a partnership with the American retail giant Walmart, which was looking to expand into Canada. Goldhar became Walmart's exclusive developer in the country, acquiring land and building hundreds of Walmart-anchored shopping centers across Canada.
This mutually beneficial partnership was the engine of his success, making him a dominant force in the Canadian retail real estate landscape. He took his company, then known as SmartCentres, public as a REIT in 2015. In addition to his retail property empire, Goldhar has diversified into residential and mixed-use development. He is also the owner of the Israeli professional football club, Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C., which he purchased in 2009.
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Mitchell Goldhar is a Canadian businessman, the self-made billionaire Founder and Executive Chairman of SmartCentres Real Estate Investment Trust (TSX: SRU.UN) and SmartCentres Retail Inc., a major developer of shopping centers and retail parks across Canada. His career is rooted in real estate development, retail management, and entrepreneurial audacity.
Goldhar dropped out of York University after two years to pursue his business full-time. His philosophical approach centers on vertical integration (controlling both development and leasing), scale efficiency, and strategic partnerships with major retailers (particularly Walmart). His structural contribution is tied to pioneering the Power Centre big-box retail model in Canada.
Mitchell Goldhar's strategic genius was his commitment to securing anchor tenants. He founded SmartCentres (originally First Capital REIT, later spun off) in the 1990s. His landmark achievement was establishing a long-term, foundational partnership with Walmart, developing hundreds of sites for the retailer across Canada, which provided structural stability and guaranteed anchor tenants for his massive retail parks.
His structural contribution is immense: pioneering the Power Centre retail model in Canada and industrializing large-scale retail property development. The company successfully executed its IPO (REIT) on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). His wealth is secured by the colossal, long-term, stable cash flow generated by his vast retail real estate portfolio.
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Drops out of York University (Academic Transition).
Founds SmartCentres (Founding).
Establishes a long-term partnership with Walmart for site development (Strategic Milestone).
SmartCentres REIT successfully executes its IPO on the TSX (Financial Milestone).
Continues as Founder and Executive Chairman, guiding the massive real estate empire (Executive Oversight).
Mitchell Goldhar's wealth is concentrated in his founding equity and continued executive leadership of the publicly traded real estate giant, SmartCentres Real Estate Investment Trust (TSX: SRU.UN).
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Mitchell Goldhar's social impact is structural, stemming from SmartCentres' role in providing essential retail and commercial infrastructure for millions of Canadians. His companies contribute significantly to urban commercial development and employment across the nation. His personal philanthropy supports various community and educational initiatives.
His structural contribution is tied to the successful industrialization and scale of the Canadian retail real estate development sector.
Mitchell Goldhar maintains the professional, composed style of a real estate executive. His attire is consistently formal and high-quality, favoring tailored suits. His aesthetic reflects serious authority and stability, typical of a leader in the high-capital property development sector.
Residing in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, his luxury is the immense security and financial reward derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to real estate development, investment strategy, and the long-term stewardship of the SmartCentres empire.
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-0.34% | -$14.02M
-0.41% | -$9.27M
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