Jean-Louis Lévesque, CM OQ (April 13, 1911 – December 28, 1994) was a Canadian entrepreneur, thoroughbred racehorse owner, and philanthropist.
Beaubien et Cie to form Lévesque, Beaubien Inc.[1] Specializing in government bonds, his brokerage company replaced LJ Forget et Cie as the largest French Canadian securities firm in Canada Highly respected throughout the country for his business acumen, Lévesque was appointed by the Government of Canada to serve on the 1957 Royal Commission on energy that resulted in the creation of the National Energy Board.
Following liftoff in his private jet from Miami, he once famously suggested a few Montreal friends to join him for a lobster dinner, his guests were, however, surprised to find out upon disembarking that they were rather in Moncton.
Having amassed a fortune, in his late sixties Lévesque set about planning his retirement with an eye to becoming more involved with the sport of horse racing.
Through one of his holding companies, he purchased Blue Bonnets Raceway in Montreal in 1958 where a few years later he added a schedule of Thoroughbred horse races.
As well, Lévesque was part of the breeding syndicate that purchased the Triple Crown champion, Secretariat for a then-record price of $6.08 million.
[2] A friend of prominent racing owners Bud McDougald and E. P. Taylor, in 1973 Lévesque became one of the founding members and a Trustee of the Jockey Club of Canada.
Their deaths profoundly impacted him and as an adult, when he had made his fortune, he became a very substantial contributor to philanthropic causes such as hospitals and medical research.
In 1972 he and his wife were recipients of the Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award and the Pope made him a Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great.