Peter Nygård

Not to be confused with Petri Nygård.
Peter J. Nygård
Born 1943
Helsinki, Finland
Citizenship Canadian
Occupation Business owner
Known for chairman of Nygård International

Peter J. Nygård (born 1943) is a Finnish-Canadian executive, founder and chairman of Nygård International. He was rated the 70th richest Canadian by Canadian Business Magazine in 2009 with a net worth of $817 million.[1]

Early life and education

Nygård was born in Helsinki, Finland in 1943. His parents were Eeli and Hilkka Nygård, bakers who immigrated to Canada in 1952, settling at first in Deloraine, Manitoba (where Nygård Park would later be named in his honour in 2002). They moved shortly after to Winnipeg.[2]

In 1964, he graduated from the University of North Dakota.[3][4][5]

Nygård International

Main article: Nygård International

On December 1, 1967, Nygård used his life savings and an additional loan of $8,000 to purchase 20% of a woman’s clothing manufacturer. A few years later, Nygård owned the company and renamed it Nygård International.[6]

Nygård apparel manufacturing company was founded in 1967 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Its Canada headquarters is now in Toronto, Ontario with its world headquarters in Times Square, New York.[7]

Nygård's fashion concept retail store opened in Times Square in Manhattan on Friday, November 6, 2009.

Nygård is Canada's largest fashion house.

Nygård Cay

In 1987, Nygård built a 150,000-square-foot (14,000 m2) compound at Lyford Cay in the Bahamas. It was partly destroyed by a fire on November 10, 2009.[8]

On April 14, 2010 Peter Nygard announced he was planning a $50 million renovation of Nygård Cay, which would take two years to complete and repair the damage and employ 200 construction workers.[9][10]

The Cay is inspired by the Mayan civilization’s architecture. One of the major buildings is a 32,000 ft2 grand-hall with a 100,000 lb glass ceiling.[11]

Charity

Nygård has supported the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.[12]

Nygård has been a longtime sponsor of amateur sports in the Bahamas. In June 2010, is the main sponsor of Amateur Boxing Federation of the Bahamas' team for Continental Elite Boxing Championships Invitation only event slated for June 13–19 in Quito, Ecuador.[13] Wellington Miller, the president of the Bahamas Olympic Committee, said Nygård has contributed significantly to the Amateur Boxing Association of the Bahamas and their Olympic success.[14]

In April 2011, Nygård held a regatta at Nygård Cay, which included a press conference to honor Bahamian musician "King" Eric Gibson.[15][16] In the same month, Nygård also donated $10,000 to Josie Poitier, a member of Old Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, during a Passover/Good Friday Breakfast/Brunch.[17]

Lawsuits

In February 2012, Nygård launched a lawsuit against the CBC regarding copyright issues about private videos taken at his residence, which were then used in an April 2010 documentary.[18][19] He had also launched a copyright complaint with the US District Court in New York[20][21][22] and a lawsuit in Manitoba to prevent the piece from airing.[23] He had previously sued two former employees for releasing confidential information and his lawyer claimed CBC harassed many of the employees.[23] Nygård launched a civil suit against his neighbor Louis Bacon and the Lyford Cay Property Owners Association in the Bahamas alleging they conspired with the CBC to damage his reputation; he also filed a private criminal prosecution against three CBC journalists accusing them of conspiring to discredit him and his clothing empire.[24][25]

Personal life

Nygård currently lives in Lyford Cay in the Bahamas.[26]

He has seven children by four women.[27][28] He has been married one time, briefly, in the 1970s, to a model.[29] He dated Anna Nicole Smith for several years.[29]

He fathered a daughter, Alia, with Patricia Bickle.[29][30]

He fathered a son, Mika, with Kaarina Pakka of Oakville, Ontario.[27][29]

Nygard is an advocate of stem cell technology to reverse the afflictions of aging. He reports that he has been rejuvenating himself through the use of autologous stem cell transplantation.[31]

Aircraft

Nygård owns the following aircraft for personal and corporate use:[32]

Peter Nygård's Aircraft:
Aircraft In Fleet Notes
Boeing 727-017 1

References

  1. ↑ Kirbyson, Geoff (2009-11-19). "Manitobans make magazine's Rich 100 list". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 2010-04-14.
  2. ↑ http://www4.nygard.com/uploadedFiles/News/YEAR_2010/News_2010/full_HilkkaNygard_new.pdf
  3. ↑ http://www4.nygard.com/scf/News2003.aspx?id=357
  4. ↑ "North Dakota Entrepreneur Hall of Fame". innovators.net. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  5. ↑ "Entrepreneur Awards". innovators.net. Retrieved 12 July 201. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  6. ↑ "Peter Nygard's success story". lasplash.com. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  7. ↑ "Nygard International Company Profile".
  8. ↑ "Fire destroys Nygard's Bahamas compound", Winnipeg Free Press, November 10, 2009
  9. ↑ "Nygard pledges 50 million comeback". The Nassau Guardian. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
  10. ↑ "Nygard Cay is not licensed as commercial property". The Nassau Tribune. August 16, 2010. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Nygård Cay". unusualvillarentals.com. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  12. ↑ "$26.5 million Raised Nationwide as Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure Celebrates Sweet Sixteen". Cnwtelbec.com. Retrieved 2010-04-14.
  13. ↑ "Nygard sponsoring team for 'invitation only' amateur boxing event". The Tribune. June 1, 2010. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
  14. ↑ "Nygard to sponsor Exuma regatta". The Tribune. March 29, 2011. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
  15. ↑ "Nygard Does It Again, Sponsors National F.I. Regatta". Jones Bahamas. March 28, 2011. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
  16. ↑ "I did everything that I could to make it such a great sport". The Tribune. March 29, 2011. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
  17. ↑ "After years of giving, volunteer gets recognition, reward". Miami Herald. April 25, 2011. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Nygard files another lawsuit against CBC". lfpress.com. 2012-2-23. Retrieved 2012-2-24. Check date values in: |date=, |accessdate= (help)
  19. ↑ "Former Deputy PM denies defending Nygard International against immigration accusations". The Nassau Tribune. April 14, 2010. Retrieved April 20, 2010.
  20. ↑ "Fashion mogul Peter Nygård tries to block airing of CBC show". Fftimes.com. 2010-01-12. Retrieved 2010-04-14.
  21. ↑ Famous Fashionista says: (2010-01-11). "Nygård seeks damages from the CBC". fashionmagazine.com. Retrieved 2010-04-14.
  22. ↑ Austen, Ian (2010-01-10). "Nygard Sues Over Unwanted Media Coverage". Canada: NYTimes.com. Retrieved 2010-04-14.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Owen, Bruce (2010-01-13). "CBC probe distracts staff, Nygård claims". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 2010-04-14.
  24. ↑ "Nygard enemy bolts". Toronto Sun. 4/9/2011. Retrieved 2011-04-26. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  25. ↑ "Fashion tycoon Peter Nygard files criminal complaint against CBC". Toronto Sun. 4/1/2011. Retrieved 2011-04-26. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  26. ↑ "Lyford luxury". The Bahamas Investor Magazine. January 21, 2010.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 http://www.fact.on.ca/news/news0210/np021015.htm
  28. ↑ http://www4.nygard.com/scf/News2003.aspx?id=356
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2010/1206/features-peter-nygard-sexual-harassment-answers-to-no-one.html
  30. ↑ http://www.winnipegsun.com/2011/08/02/winnipegs-royal-wedding
  31. ↑ seasons beverlyhills (Mar 22, 2014). "Forever Young • Peter Nygard - Stem Cell Research". YouTube. Retrieved 2014-12-05.
  32. ↑ http://www.planespotters.net/Aviation_Photos/photo.show?id=306953 "Peter Nygård's Aircraft"

External links