Issy Sharp
| Isadore Sharp | |
|---|---|
| Born |
October 8, 1931 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Founder and Chairman, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts |
| Net worth |
 $540 million (2009)
|
| Spouse(s) | Rosalie Wise Sharp |
| Children | Jordan Sharp Gregory Sharp Anthony Sharp Christopher Sharp (deceased) |
| Awards | Order of Canada |
| Website | Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts |
Isadore "Issy" Sharp, OC (born October 8, 1931) is a Canadian hotelier and writer. He is founder and chairman of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.
Sharp was born in Toronto, the son of Polish Jewish immigrants. His father, Max, a devout Torah scholar, was a Polish Jew who emigrated from Poland to escape pogroms to Palestine in 1920, and finally to Toronto five years later. He worked as a plasterer until his family began to grow with the arrival of Issy and three daughters. His father's expertise was in home renovation and he often renovated homes and resold them for a profit as a real estate investor. During the summers, Sharp would obtain experience in the construction business by working for his father. He excelled in sports during his high school years. In 1952, he graduated with high marks from Ryerson Institute of Technology with a diploma in architectural technology.
After graduation, Sharp went to work for his father’s company full-time as an architect and real estate developer, building apartment buildings and houses. It was his work building a small 22-unit motel (Motel 27) on the outskirts of Toronto for family friend, Jack Gould, that was his introduction to the hospitality business. He founded the Four Seasons Hotel in 1960 and opened the first hotel on Jarvis Street in downtown Toronto in 1961.
On November 6, 2006, American business magnate Bill Gates, through his holding company Cascade Investments LLC, and Saudi businessman, Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal through his company Kingdom Holding Company made an offer to take Four Seasons Hotels private for US$3.4 billion (excluding debt). Sharp would remain chairman and chief executive of the company. He also would be able to realize proceeds from a 1989 incentive plan that would pay him $288 million. The company's headquarters would remain in Toronto.
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