Paul Desmarais III (born 1981 or 1982)[1] is a Canadian businessperson and philanthropist.
Desmarais was educated at Lakefield College School[2] and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from Harvard College and a Master of Business Administration degree from INSEAD.
[6] He is Chairman and CEO of Sagard, an alternative asset manager involved in venture capital, private equity, private credit, real estate and royalties.
[19] He is a founder or co-founder of various business-led initiatives, such as the Black Wealth Club[20], which provides resources to support emerging black leaders, the Young Canadians in Finance[21] and the Indigenous Leadership Circle.
[22] He also acted as co-chair for the Centraide of Greater Montreal 49th fundraising campaign, launched in 2022.