Pierre Péladeau
Pierre Péladeau
He was the father of billionaire Pierre Karl Péladeau, former Parti Québécois leader.
Biography
Péladeau was born in Montreal on April 12, 1925 as the youngest of seven children of Henri Péladeau, who had a successful timber business. Whilst on a sales trip to Europe in 1929, the stock market crashed and on his fathers return to Montreal he found that his two partners had taken control of the business. This event undoubtedly affected Pierre Peladeau's attitude to business and his business partners.[1]
Péladeau had four children,
Péladeau's time spent with Quebecor meant that he was often an absent father to his children.[3]
In 1987 Péladeau told The Globe and Mail that "I've had all the women I wanted, when I wanted them."[1] Péladeau also openly boasted that he only spoke English when he could make a profit by doing so.[1]
In 1989, Péladeau said that women had no place on corporate boards because "they seduce too much."[1] In 1990, Péladeau was quoted in l'Actualite magazine saying that Jews "take up too much space'" in Quebec, and was forced to issue a statement of apology claiming that he meant it in the context of Jewish fashion designers getting the lion's share of coverage from Montreal newspapers.[1]
Education and career
He attended College Jean-de-Brebeuf (a private school also attended by Pierre Elliott Trudeau). He then went on to complete a degree in philosophy at the Université de Montréal, and a law degree at McGill University.[1]
While studying for the bar exam in 1950, Péladeau purchased a struggling community paper, Le Journal de Rosemont, including their printing works, with a $1,500 loan from his mother, Elmire, which became "Nouvelles et Potins" .[1]
In 1964, the employees of La Presse, the major Montréal French-language newspaper, went on strike, giving Péladeau the room to create his own newspaper, Le Journal de Montréal.[1]
Quebecor
Péladeau would create Quebecor in 1965, with Le Journal de Montréal as its flagship publication.[4]
In 1977, Péladeau expanded Quebecor into the United States by starting a daily sports-heavy tabloid called The Philadelphia Journal, which was unsuccessful and ended its publication run in 1981.[1][4] Péladeau later spoke of his failed venture and the loss of his 14 million USD investment as "the most expensive MBA in the United States."[1] Péladeau also went on to acquire printing businesses in France and the United Kingdom, printing "Paris Match" amongst many other well known publications both in Europe and the USA.
In 1983, Quebecor bought the Winnipeg Sun.[4]
Despite Péladeau's strong support for Quebec sovereignty, he chaired a committee in charge of organization Montreal's Canada Day celebrations in 1987.[1]
Péladeau started The Daily News of Montreal in 1988 in a partnership with British newspaper magnate, Robert Maxwell, but it closed two years later.[1]
Death and honours
Péladeau suffered a heart attack on December 24, 1997, and fell into a coma.
At the time of his death, Quebecor had 6.3 billion CAD in revenue and Le Journal de Montreal was the Canadian newspaper with the third largest circulation as well as the largest French newspaper in Quebec[1] Quebecor Printing was North America's second-largest commercial printer.[1] Péladeau left the company to his heirs, and his son, Pierre Karl Péladeau would become president and CEO in 1999.[4]
In 1987, Péladeau was made a Member of the Order of Canada. In 1989, he was made an Officer of the National Order of Quebec.
In 1999, Quebecor established an annual bursary for young Quebec entrepreneurs award in his name.[5]
References
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
- ^ "Sister of Quebec media mogul Pierre Karl Péladeau killed in car crash". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
- ^ MacDonald, L. Ian (May 3, 2016). "How one TV interview by his ex killed Péladeau's political career". iPolitics.ca. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Five things to know about Quebecor". Winnipeg Free Press. The Canadian Press. May 3, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
- ^ "Quebecor | Pierre-Péladeau Bursaries". www.quebecor.com. Retrieved May 4, 2016.