Eric Sprott

Precious metals fanatic Eric Sprott has recently claimed to hold 90% of his assets outside of Sprott Inc. shares, in gold and silver. The Merrill Lynch research-analyst-turned-fund-manager sold his entire interest in his first independent venture, Sprott Securities, to the firm's employees in 2001. That same year he donated $10 million to his alma mater, Carleton University, which proceeded to rename its business school in Sprott's honor. He took his current operation, Sprott Asset Management, public on the eve of the 2008 financial crisis; shares fell more than 73% in the months that followed. After a comeback in 2011, shares are down just 27% from their debut. Eric founded the Sprott Foundation in 1988 with his wife Vizma to help address homelessness and hunger in Canada. He believes that the world needs true leadership for positive social change. In 2013, Eric was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada for his contributions as a philanthropist, notably in the areas of health care, education and international development. He was also recognized for his generous philanthropic endeavours with the Fraser Institute T.P. Boyle Founder’s Award. Eric has a Bachelor of Commerce and an honorary Doctor of Laws from Carleton University. He is also a Chartered Accountant and an Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” award recipient (Ontario 2006). The Eric Sprott School of Business is named in his honour and in 2013 he was recognized with Carleton's A.D. Dunton Alumni Award of Distinction.