Barry Sherman was a shrewd businessman. An incredibly intelligent man, in 1958 Barry entered the University of Toronto’s Engineering Science program when he was only 16, saying he chose that program because he was told it was one of the hardest. He would remain the youngest person to be accepted into that program until 2016. He graduated from that program with honors and continued on to complete a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from MIT.
In 1974 Barry formed Apotex. Using money secured from the sale of his uncle’s business, Barry started a pharmaceutical empire. By 2016 Apotex would be one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Canada, employing over 10,000 people in 2016, and made the Shermans one of the most wealthy families in Canada.
Some of his friends described him as a generous man. And outside of business dealings, Barry and, to a larger extent, Honey Sherman were generous philanthropists. Honey was on the board of directors for several charities. The Shermans donated $50 million to the United Jewish Appeal and other Jewish charities, even though Barry considered himself an atheist. They also provided funds to build major additions to the geriatric Baycrest center and other community centers in Ontario. They were also major donors to the United Way, and they also would personally loan money to Apotex employees if they ever needed help.
Apotex themselves have donated over $50 million to disaster relief since 2007.
Barry had an intense focus on business, often spending holidays pouring over business documents while the rest of his family went about enjoying their vacation. But when it came to business, Barry was like a completely different person. Gone was the kind and generous man that would loan money to his employees if they got in a tight spot. What replaced him was a man that was completely ruthless and seemingly without remorse for his business dealings.
He was very shrewd in his business, and he knew business law well. One of his adversaries described him as “the only person I have ever met with no redeeming features whatsoever” and journalists reported that others used “unprintable” descriptions of his character. Called a “deplorable human being” in reference to his business practices by University of Ottawa law professors, saying he…
