- Source of Wealth: Business (Finance – Power Corporation of Canada)
- Birth Place: Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
- Height: 1.7 m (5′ 7″)
- Marital Status: Married (Jacqueline Maranger)
- Full Name: Paul Desmarais, Sr.
- Nationality: Canadian
- Date of Birth: January 4, 1927
- Occupation: Financier and CEO of the Power Corporation of Canada
- Education: University of Ottawa and McGill University
- Children: 4 (Paul Jr., André, Sophie and Louise )
Paul Desmarais Sr. was a Canadian entrepreneur whose business is directly involved in mass media, paper and pulp industry as well as in offering financial services. He eventually served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Power Corporation of Canada.
This Canadian philanthropist and financier is based in Montreal and he has an estimated net worth of $4.5 billion. He eventually got ranked as the fourth wealthiest person in Canada and the 235th richest person in the world by Forbes. He became the chief executive officer and chairman of the Power Corporation of Canada until the year 1996 as he passed the management of the Power Corporation of Canada to his sons Andre and Paul Jr. By this time, he remained as the company’s controlling shareholder and chairman of the board’s executive committee. The diversified international management and holding company Power Corporation of Canada has interests in companies in communications, renewable energy, financial services as well as other business sectors. Desmarais became highly regarded because of his standard integrity as well as his commitment for Canada to become prosperous and united.