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Emanuele (Lino) Saputo is an Italian-Canadian billionaire businessman who has an estimated net worth of $4.9 billion. He was born Emanuele Saputo on June 10, 1937 in Montelepre, Sicily, Italy but the family immigrated to Montreal, Quebec when he completed his secondary education in the early 1950s.

Giuseppe Saputo founded the Canadian cheese manufacturer Saputo, Inc. in 1954 with $500 and a bicycle for deliveries. Together with the boom of pizza consumption in 1980s-1990s, Lino's fortune also increased over the following decades. He acquired U.S. and Canadian dairies in the 80s which made him the cheese king in Canada.

In 1969, he became the President and Chairman of the Board of Saputo Inc. He took the company public in 1997 and its products are sold in more than 40 countries today. In 1998, he became the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board.  In March 2004, his son, Lino Jr. succeeded as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company while Lino Sr. remained as the Chairman of the Board until his retirement in August 2017.

Emanuele (Lino) Saputo is also known for his generosity and philanthropic works mostly in the hospitals of Montreal in Canada. The Saputo family also has major stakes in several companies, including the Major League Soccer's Montreal Impact.

Earnings & Financial Data

Date

Category

Description

Amount

2018

Asset

Amount spent for the acquisition of Shepherd Gourmet Dairy by Saputo Inc.

$100,000,000

2016

Salary

Total compensation he received ($1.3 million base salary and $3.9 million annual premium)

$5,200,000