he 79-year-old patriarch of one of Canada’s most politically connected families has been on a roll lately.

In mid-November, Power Financial Corp. announced that Q3 earnings had more than doubled from a year ago, thanks in part to the $356-million sale of its stake in Bertelsmann AG, Europe’s largest media company, in July.

"I haven't [left Canada] because I'm a Canadian, I've made my money
here, and I've got to
fight it out."
- Paul Desmarais Jr.