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Businessman David Gilmour died on June 11, 2023, at the age of 91. His wife, Jillian Gilmour, revealed that he was suffering from cardiac arrest, which eventually led to his demise. Besides being the founder of Fiji Water, David accumulated a lot of wealth from real estate and gold mining over the years.
Fiji Water was his most successful venture. However, the company was a subject of criticism for high energy consumption and contributing to the creation of greenhouse gases that emerged from plastic bottles.
He sold his Palm Beach estate for $44.9 million in 2022 and was the owner of a company called Wakaya Perfection before his death. It is a wellness company with a collection of powders and capsules made from ginger and turmeric found in the volcanic soil in Fiji and Nicaragua.
David also purchased a gold mine in Northern Ontario and established a company called Barrick Gold Corp., which gained recognition as the largest company in the world. Moreover, he was the founder of a lineup of eight free-standing suites called Wakaya Club & Spa.
David Gilmour earned much of his wealth as the founder of different companies
Born on November 5, 1931, David Gilmour was born to Adam Gilmour and Doris Godson Gilmour. Adam was an investment banker, while Doris was an opera singer. He joined the University of Toronto, where he studied business management.
Interestingly, David's father gave him two options at the age of 16, which included a lot of cash to launch a company or a stipend of $10 per day to travel around Europe. David decided to take the stipend, and this is how he realized his passion to be a businessman in the future. Although his father offered him to join his bank, he went to Montreal and sold pots and pans.
David Gilmour then joined electrical engineer Peter Munk and launched his first company in1958, a startup called Clairtone Sound, which manufactured electrical systems. However, the company suffered losses, and after recovery, the duo established a company called Southern Pacific Properties, which took over various hotels in places like Fiji, New Zealand, and more.
Southern Pacific was reportedly purchased for $130 million by banker Tan Sri Khoo Teck Puat. He launched another company called Clairtone, and the sales of the company increased by a great extent during the 60s. Following this, David and Peter purchased a gold mine in Northern Ontario for $40 million, which was followed by the purchase of Zinio and Fiji-based private island, Wakaya.
David Gilmour became a famous face among the public after establishing a bottled water brand called Fiji Water. The company's headquarters are located in Los Angeles, California. Fiji Plant, which is a part of the company, hired around 400 employees in 2010, after which the company also launched another foundation for offering water filters to rural communities in Fiji.
David was a resident of Manhattan and Palm Beach over the years. He is survived by his wife, Jillian Gilmour. The duo tied the knot in 1981, but before Jillian, he was previously married to Anna Wilmot and Diane Williams.
