Wikipedia

Peter Munk

Peter Munk CC (November 8, 1927 – March 28, 2018) was a Hungarian-Canadian businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He was the founder and chief executive officer of a number of high-profile business ventures, including the hi-fi electronics company Clairtone, real estate company Trizec Properties, and Barrick Gold, the world's largest gold-mining corporation.

Peter Munk
Born(1927-11-08)November 8, 1927
Budapest, Hungary
DiedMarch 28, 2018(2018-03-28) (aged 90)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
NationalityCanadian
Alma materUniversity of Toronto
Known forChairman, president and founder of Barrick Gold, philanthropy
Spouses
Linda Joy Gutterson
​
​
(m. 1956; div. 1970)​
Melanie Jane Bosanquet
​
​
(m. 1973)​
Children5

Munk is known for his philanthropy, as a donor to Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto and the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre at the Toronto General Hospital. He is also well known for supporting the Munk Debates.

Early years and family edit

Munk was born in Budapest, into a prosperous Hungarian-Jewish family, the son of Katharina Adler Munk and Lajos "Louis" Munk (1898–1977).[1][2] His grandfather, Gábor "Gabriel" Munk, had descended from a family of rabbis, was a brother of the noted linguist and ethnologist Bernát Munkácsi (né Munk), and uncle of the Hungarian jurist and writer Ernő Munkácsi. Gábor became wealthy via Austro-Hungarian distribution rights for the popular Viennese chocolate brand, Manner, invested in real estate, then, during World War II, used what remained of his fortune to buy safe passage out of Hungary to neutral Switzerland for members of his immediate family, including his grandson Peter.[3][4]

Hungary was occupied by Nazi Germany in March 1944, when Munk was aged 16;[2] along with 14 members of his family, he escaped on the Kastner train, which carried 1,684 Jews to safety in Switzerland. The journey had been arranged by Rudolf Kastner of the Zionist Aid and Rescue Committee, as a result of secret negotiations with Adolf Eichmann—the high-ranking Nazi had allowed some Jews to leave in exchange for money, gold, and diamonds, part of a series of so-called "blood for goods" deals.[5] Munk's mother, who divorced his father when he was four, was deported from Budapest to Auschwitz concentration camp in 1944. She survived, but later died by suicide.[6]

Munk arrived in Canada in 1948, via Switzerland, initially on a student visa, then graduated from the University of Toronto, in 1952, with a degree in electrical engineering.[7] Decades later, he praised Canada: "I arrived in this place not speaking the language, not knowing a dog... This is a country that does not ask about your origins; it only concerns itself with your destiny."[8]

Career edit

Clairtone edit

In 1958, with $2,800 from his father-in-law, Webber Pharmaceuticals (now Webber Naturals) founder William Jay Gutterson,[9] he co-founded Clairtone with Scandinavian furniture importer David Gilmour. Clairtone manufactured high-end console stereos, and later televisions, which were recognizable icons of their day. The most celebrated Clairtone designs were the striking "Project G" series, introduced in 1964, composed of sleek rosewood cabinets with cantilevered black aluminum "sound globes" (speakers). The Project G and G2 were seen in the films Marriage on the Rocks and The Graduate, awarded a silver medal for excellence at the Milan Triennial design exhibition, and endorsed by Frank Sinatra and Oscar Peterson.[10] Fans of the Project G included Hugh Hefner.[11]

Clairtone's downfall began with "an ill-advised plan to build a plant in Nova Scotia."[12] The plant, built in Stellarton, opened in 1966 with funding from the province's Industrial Estates Limited (IEL). According to William Mingo, chief counsel for IEL, as quoted in his daughter Nina Munk's book about Clairtone, "Munk was too good a salesman for his own good. He could sell anything to anyone, including himself. My, he was a promoter. My, he had energy. My, he had charm. My, he had imagination."[13] In 1967, as a result of mounting losses and in order to try to recoup its multi-million dollar investments, the Government of Nova Scotia took over Clairtone and fired Munk and Gilmour. Munk faced accusations of insider trading "that were eventually settled out of court."[12] A report commissioned by Clairtone in the aftermath of the factory's failure found that one of the main issues was the local workforce. "The general population is basically not geared to the manufacturing frenzy and especially the five-day workweek... The welfare situation is such that it has created conditions similar to Appalachia in the United States where the third generation is already on relief."[13]

Hospitality and real estate edit

After the collapse of Clairtone, Munk and Gilmour invested in a plot of ocean-front land in Fiji which they soon developed into a hotel and resort. This venture grew into the Southern Pacific Hotel Corporation, which at its peak consisted of 54 resorts in Australia and the South Pacific. In 1978, the firm signed a deal with the President of Egypt to build a resort near the Great Pyramids. When Anwar Sadat cancelled the project, Munk sued the Egyptian government, eventually winning the arbitration case at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes.

In 1979, Munk returned to Canada to start a new venture called Barrick, which he would eventually build into the world's largest gold company. At the time, bankers and the establishment viewed him as "a fugitive and a loser," according to Munk.[14]

Munk was also founder, chairman, and CEO of Trizec Properties (formerly TrizecHahn Corporation), one of the largest American real estate investment trusts. In 2006, Trizec Properties was sold to Brookfield Properties in a transaction valued at approximately $9 billion.[15]

In 2007, Munk invested with partners in Porto Montenegro, a former naval base on the Adriatic Sea, turning it into a superyacht destination to rival Cannes and Monte Carlo. He was the majority shareholder of Montport Capital, which owned the centrepieces of the complex, Porto Montenegro Marina and Resort. He developed the site on the Bay of Kotor, putting Montenegro on the map for high-end tourism. In 2016 Munk sold the marina and hotel to Investment Corporation of Dubai, a sovereign wealth fund,[16] for an undisclosed amount, believed to be about 200 million euros.[17]

Barrick Gold edit

Main article: Barrick Gold

In 1980, Munk created Barrick Petroleum to invest in the oil sector, but he quickly realized that investments in this sector were ruinous. After the acquisition of a small company, Camflo Mines, Barrick left the oil sector and became overnight a mining company.[18] In 2011, Munk planned to merge with Glencore, Ivan Glasenberg's company, to create one of the world's largest commodities giants on par with BHP and Rio Tinto. The gold market was not aligned with Glencore's other activities, however, and the deal did not go through.[19]

In 2008, Munk, as the chair of Barrick Gold, intervened at the shareholder meeting to block a proxy shareholder, who had travelled from Papua New Guinea for the meeting, from speaking about her reports of deadly violence and sexual violence perpetuated by Barrick Gold's security contractors at Porgera Gold Mine.[20]

By 2016, Barrick had proven and probable reserves of two billion tons (1.33 grams of gold per tonne of ore).[21] It is the world's largest gold mining company and the largest Canadian company by capitalization. Munk retired from the day-to-day management but he remained the founder and President Emeritus. "Barrick is my legacy," Munk said.[19]

Charitable contributions edit

In 1992, the Peter and Melanie Munk Charitable Foundation was founded. It has disbursed more than $300 million to a variety of organizations that work to improve the health, education and international reputation of Canadians.[22] In a speech he delivered in September 2017, on announcing a $100 million donation to the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre at the Toronto General Hospital, Munk spoke of his philanthropy in the context of his gratitude to the country that saved his life: "You opened the door. You gave us everything," he added, referring to Canada as "paradise."[23]

Education edit

Munk was a major donor to the University of Toronto, his alma mater. Beginning with a gift of $35 million in 2010, the Munk Foundation enabled the establishment of the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto. In total, Munk gave $51 million to his alma mater.[24] The Peter Munk Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management is named after him.

Peter Munk also made a substantial donation of $43 million to Technion – Israel Institute of Technology to establish that university's Peter Munk Research Institute.[25]

Public policy edit

In 2016, Munk made a $5 million donation to the Fraser Institute, a think tank, to launch the Peter Munk Centre for Free Enterprise Education.[26]

Aurea Foundation edit

Peter Munk and Melanie Munk established the Aurea Foundation in 2006.[27] Subsequently, Peter Munk established the semi-annual Munk Debates in 2008 with a $12 million donation from Aurea Foundation, a sub-division of his primary charitable foundation.[28]

Health edit

In 1997, Munk helped create the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre at the Toronto General Hospital with an initial donation of $6 million. In May 2006, he announced that he would donate another $37 million, at the time the largest gift ever made to a Canadian medical institution.[29] In September 2017, he donated another $100 million.[30] As well, Peter and Melanie Munk established University Health Network’s first endowed chair for the cardiac program: the Melanie Munk Chair in Cardiovascular Surgery.[31]

Controversy edit

A contract between the Munk Foundation and the University of Toronto came under criticism due to the secrecy that shrouded its approval, and the fact that Munk's contribution of $35 million were conditional on $25 million contributions each by the federal government and the university. Coming at a time of downsizing and threats to the funding of other academic units, critics charge that these decisions are emblematic of the government's and the University's ceding of academic resource allocation decisions to the corporate sector.[32]

According to Linda McQuaig's book, The Trouble with Billionaires, Munk's donation to the University of Toronto came with strings attached to ensure that the school would "fit with the political views and sensitivities of Peter Munk." McQuaig writes that "according to Munk's written agreement with the university, the Munk donations will be paid over an extended time period, with much of the money to be paid years from now – and subject to the Munk family's approval of the school. For that matter, the school's director will be required to report annually to a board appointed by Munk 'to discuss the programs, activities and initiatives of the School in greater detail.'"[33][34][35]

University president David Naylor rejected personal attacks on donors as "a deplorable affront to the values of rational and respectful discourse that are supposed to characterize a university" and stated "I later served on the board of the University Health Network, in the years when Dr. Munk made two gifts exceeding $40 million to support the cardiovascular program at that hospital. There was not a single instance where Peter Munk interfered with the educational, research or clinical priorities of the institution."[36]

Personal life edit

On September 3, 1956, Munk married Linda Joy Gutterson, the daughter of a Forest Hill pharmaceutical entrepreneur who gave Munk the start-up capital to fund his first company. Linda was 19, not long out of Havergal College; he was 10 years older. "'Linda tracked me down with a laser beam,' said Munk. 'I was a curiosity; I was different. Not because I was so great, let me tell you, I was fat, bald, poor, a boring engineering student.'"[37] The couple separated and reunited more than once in the 1960s, having three children and divorcing in 1970 but staying on very good terms. After the marriage was over, she pursued an academic career, becoming a professor of English at the University of Toronto.[38][39]

On June 26, 1973, Munk married his second wife, Melanie Jane Bosanquet, in London with whom he had two more children.[40][41] She is the cousin of Charles Palmer-Tomkinson, a British land-owner and Olympic skier. Munk skied for 71 years, and built with his wife in 1972 a ski chalet called Viti Levu in Klosters, which they consider home. It overlooks the mountain of Gotschnagrat.[42]

His children are: Anthony Munk, a senior managing director at Onex private equity;[43] Nina Munk, a journalist and contributing editor for Vanity Fair; Marc-David Munk, a physician and healthcare executive; Natalie; and Cheyne. In his late 70s Munk was fitted with a pacemaker.[42]

Views edit

In 2008, Munk praised Canada for being a place where he could come as an immigrant, without wealth, knowledge, language skills or a network and set up a successful business and grow it into an empire.[44]

Death edit

Munk died in Toronto on March 28, 2018, at the age of 90.[45][46][47] The cause of death was not disclosed, but Munk had been dealing with heart problems for several years and wore a pacemaker.[48]

The Financial Post posthumously lauded him as "An entrepreneur with a Midas touch, he was one of Canada's most high-flying, international deal makers, with friends ranging from Brian Mulroney and Prince Charles to the arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi and French billionaire Bernard Arnault, as well as one its most generous benefactors."[49]

In 2022, Richard Poplak reflected on the lack of critical reflection on the Munk's corporate legacy of harm in the places where Barrick Gold mines operated and the degree to which that cannot be separated from Munk, who micromanaged the corporation.[20] In the same podcast, Canadaland stated the Munk was fortunate to escape criticism during the global increased focus on sexual violence in 2018 in the context of the hundreds of rapes Barrick Gold security staff perpetuated at Porgera Gold Mine.[20]

Honours edit

He received several honorary degrees:

He became Officer of The Order of Canada (the country's highest civilian honour) in 1993 and was promoted to Companion in 2008;[52] received The Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship in 2002 (the first time awarded outside the U.S.); was inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame, and the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame. In 2012 Munk was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. His homeland awarded him the Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary in 2016.[50]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Lumley, Elizabeth (4 January 2008). The Canadian Who's Who - Elizabeth Lumley - Google Books. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 9780802040718. Archived from the original on 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2014-05-01 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b Csillag, Ron (28 March 2018). "PETER MUNK WAS KNOWN FOR HIS LOVE OF CANADA". The Canadian Jewish News. Archived from the original on 31 August 2018. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  3. ^ Reguly, Eric (29 March 2018). "Peter Munk: The extraordinary life of a business legend, philanthropist and national champion". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  4. ^ Austen, Ian (30 March 2018). "Peter Munk, 90, Dies; Built World's Biggest Gold Mining Company". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 April 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  5. ^ Ligaya, Armina. "Anna Porter on a Hungarian pariah" Archived 2007-11-05 at the Wayback Machine, CBC News, September 21, 2006.
  6. ^ "Peter Munk, entrepreneur who founded world's largest gold producer, dies at 90". The Washington Post. 28 March 2018. Archived from the original on 29 March 2018. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  7. ^ "Peter Munk Industrialist and Graduate". University of Toronto. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
  8. ^ "About Peter Munk". Fraser Institute. 2016-11-18. Archived from the original on 2017-07-09. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
  9. ^ Shanahan, Noreen (2017-03-26). "Linda Munk left the life of luxury to reinvent herself through the arts". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Archived from the original on 2019-07-04. Retrieved 2018-04-09.
  10. ^ Pitts, Gordon (2008-04-18). "Peter Munk: The lessons from the Clairtone story". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Archived from the original on 2016-03-07. Retrieved 2017-09-08.
  11. ^ "10 things you might not know about Peter Munk | Toronto Star". thestar.com. 29 April 2014. Archived from the original on 2017-08-03. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
  12. ^ a b "Peter Munk's final play - Macleans.ca". Macleans.ca. Archived from the original on 2015-11-26. Retrieved 2015-11-02.
  13. ^ a b "My Father's Brilliant Mistake - Nina Munk". www.ninamunk.com. Archived from the original on 2015-01-26. Retrieved 2015-11-02.
  14. ^ Newman, Peter (1998-10-19). Titans. Toronto: Viking Canada. ISBN 9780670883363.
  15. ^ Cave, Andrew (2008-02-26). "Midas Munk has a real heart of gold". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 2018-04-22. Retrieved 2018-04-02.
  16. ^ "ICD - new PM Owner". portomontenegro.com. Archived from the original on 11 November 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  17. ^ Reguly, Eric (2016-05-01). "A mogul's last big deal: Peter Munk to sell Montenegro marina". Archived from the original on 2017-07-15. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
  18. ^ magazine, Le Point (May 5, 2011). "La fantastique fortune de Barrick Gold". Le Point. Archived from the original on August 7, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  19. ^ a b "Peter Munk: A mining magnate nears the end of his golden reign". Globe & Mail. Archived from the original on 2016-06-24. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
  20. ^ a b c "MINING #7 - Barrick and the Cruelty of Gold". CANADALAND. Archived from the original on 2022-03-18. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
  21. ^ "Barrick Gold Corporation - About". www.barrick.com. Archived from the original on 2019-11-12. Retrieved 2019-08-07.
  22. ^ "Jolly gold giant". The Economist. 2008-04-17. Archived from the original on 2011-07-11. Retrieved 2011-01-05.
  23. ^ Gignac, Julien (19 Sep 2017). "Peter Munk donates $100 million to the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre". The Star. Archived from the original on 11 November 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  24. ^ Our Founding Donors Archived 2018-03-29 at the Wayback Machine, Munk School, retrieved 30 Aug 2018, and A tribute Archived 2021-02-24 at the Wayback Machine
  25. ^ Peter Munk: Entrepreneur Archived 2018-04-08 at the Wayback Machine, Bloomberg, 28 March 2018. Retrieved 30 Aug 2018
  26. ^ Fraser Institute, 2016 Annual Report. Retrieved 15 Sept 2017. https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/fraser-institute-2016-annual-report.pdf Archived 2017-09-16 at the Wayback Machine
  27. ^ "Aurea Foundation". SourceWatch: Center for Media and Democracy. Archived from the original on 2022-11-24. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
  28. ^ "About Munk Debates". Munk Debates website. Archived from the original on 2015-10-06. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
  29. ^ Cole, Patrick (2006-05-30). "Barrick Gold's Peter Munk Gives $33.6 Mln to Toronto Hospital". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
  30. ^ "'Historic gift' of $100M made to Peter Munk Cardiac Centre". CBC News. 19 Sep 2017. Archived from the original on 19 November 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  31. ^ "Meet Peter and Melanie Munk". www.uhn.ca. Archived from the original on 2017-06-03. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
  32. ^ "Great Minds brainstorm corporate takedown". Archived from the original on 2013-01-15.
  33. ^ Linda McQuaig and Neil Brooks, "Excerpt: The Trouble with Billionaires by Linda McQuaig and Neil Brooks" Archived 2010-11-17 at the Wayback Machine, The Toronto Star, September 10, 2010
  34. ^ The Memorandum of Agreement Archived 2011-03-03 at the Wayback Machine between the Munk Foundation and the University is available on the University of Toronto's website and detailed critiques of the contract can be found online.
  35. ^ Caplan, Gerald "Money really can buy anything – even at the University of Toronto" Archived 2017-04-22 at the Wayback Machine, Globe and Mail, December 17, 2010
  36. ^ Naylor, David. "President's Letter on Philanthropy at the University of Toronto". Office of the President, University of Toronto. Archived from the original on 10 March 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
  37. ^ "Linda Munk left the life of luxury to reinvent herself through the arts" NOREEN SHANAHAN. The Globe and Mail 17 May 2013
  38. ^ "The Canadian Jewish Review - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Archived from the original on 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  39. ^ "MUNK, Linda née Gutterson". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Archived from the original on 2014-03-14. Retrieved 2013-04-27.
  40. ^ McLaren, Leah (2011-11-07). "Destination Munkistan: A look at Peter Munk's new Adriatic playground for the super-rich". torontolife.com. Archived from the original on 2014-03-14. Retrieved 2014-05-01.
  41. ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  42. ^ a b "Peter Munk: A mining magnate nears the end of his golden reign" ERIC REGULY. The Globe and Mail 15 March 2014
  43. ^ "Our Team: Anthony Munk". Onex. Archived from the original on 11 November 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  44. ^ "MINING #7 - Barrick and the Cruelty of Gold". CANADALAND. Archived from the original on 2022-03-18. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
  45. ^ "Barrick Gold Announces Passing Of Founder And Chairman Emeritus Peter Munk". RTTNews. Archived from the original on 29 March 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  46. ^ "Peter Munk, Barrick Gold founder, dies at 90". Global News. March 28, 2018. Archived from the original on March 28, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  47. ^ Evans, Pete (March 28, 2018). "Barrick Gold founder Peter Munk dead at 90". CBC News. Archived from the original on March 28, 2018. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  48. ^ Austen, Ian (2018-03-30). "Peter Munk, 90, Dies; Built World's Biggest Gold Mining Company". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2020-04-08. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
  49. ^ Kuitenbrouwer, Peter Archived 2018-04-07 at the Wayback Machine "Barrick Gold founder Peter Munk, entrepreneur with a Midas touch, dies at the age of 90", The Financial Post, March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  50. ^ a b c d e "Our Founding Donors - Peter and Melanie Munk" Archived 2018-03-29 at the Wayback Machine. University of Toronto. Accessed March 28, 2018.
  51. ^ a b c "Barrick Gold founder and chairman Peter Munk dies at 90" Archived 2018-03-28 at the Wayback Machine. Mining.com. Accessed March 28, 2018.
  52. ^ Lynch, Damian (2008-12-30). "Order of Canada honours for 'Wise Men'". Financial Post Magazine. Archived from the original on 2010-06-01.

External links edit

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