Murray Edwards

Early life

Born Normal Murray Edwards on December 10, 1959, in Regina, Canada. Growing up, he long wanted to be a politician. Throughout his high school years, he attended government affairs and political conferences. He attended the University of Saskatchewan and graduated with a bachelor’s in commerce.

During his high school days, he worked four nights a week as a hockey referee. It is said that he truly loves the sport. He also worked as a garbage crew member and once had a summer job at a beer factory that gave him unlimited beer during his breaks.

In those early days, he had an interest in investing, then went on to get his law degree from the University of Toronto in 1983.

Beginning his career as a lawyer, Murray later made the jump to business at age 28, after promising a dying friend that he would always pursue his passions.

He started a merchant bank in the early 80s, but they spent half of their initial capital on digging a natural gas well that unfortunately, came up dry. He then diversified to investing in existing oil and gas assets, in addition to digging at new ones.

He is married to Heather Bala Edwards and has one son with her. He works hard to maintain distance from his personal and business life and very little is known about his wife and child in the public eye. The name of his son has not even been revealed to the public and he keeps his parents and siblings private and out of the spotlight, as well.

Career

There is no denying that Murray Edwards has been a driving force of success in many areas of Canadian business and philanthropy. His career accomplishments are vast and varied, spanning the worlds of finance, oil & gas, sports, entertainment, and more. Let’s take a closer look at his impressive journey from entrepreneur to philanthropist.

Edwards began his career in the oil and gas industry in 1973, working as a petroleum landman for Canadian Superior Oil Limited. In 1973, he founded Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL) and served as the company’s CEO until 2000. Under his leadership, CNRL grew to become one of the largest independent crude oil and natural gas producers in the world, with operations in Canada, the United Kingdom, and offshore West Africa.

Throughout his career, Edwards has held key positions in numerous organizations including Imperial Oil Ltd., the Toronto-Dominion Bank Group, Ensign Energy Services Inc., Enbridge Income Fund Holdings Inc., among others. He is currently Chairman of Imperial Oil Limited and co-owner of NHL club The Calgary Flames as well as NLL club The Calgary Roughnecks.

He also serves on several boards such as The Bank of Montreal Board Of Directors, The National Club Association Board Of Directors, the Outward Bound Canada Board Of Directors, the United Way Of Calgary, and the Area Board Of Directors, etc.

Much of his fortune is derived from stakes in Canadian oil and mining companies. His largest investments are in oil sands miner Canadian Natural Resources, aerospace firm Magellan, and a minority stake in the NHL team Calgary Flames.

Edwards’ credentials clearly speak for themselves. His business ventures have established him as one of Canada’s most successful entrepreneurs with a net worth estimated at $2.6 Billion and growing according to Forbes magazine.
In addition to his business successes, Edwards is also involved in many charitable causes across Canada such as the United Way Campaigns and the Canadian Red Cross Society amongst others.

In 2014 he donated $20 million dollars towards the expansion of the Alberta Children’s Hospital which will be used to build a new emergency department as well as add additional operating rooms and patient beds once completed in 2021/2022. This massive donation marks one of the largest single donations ever given by an individual or organization within Alberta!

His interest in politics is also still visible in the donations he makes. Several organizations he is affiliated with have made large donations to the B.C. Liberal Party since 2005, including over $150,000 from the oil company Canadian Natural Resources. Sizable donations from Imperial Metals, where he serves as a controlling shareholder, and others are also notable.

He also helped organize a $1 Million fundraiser in Calgary for the re-election bid of B.C. Premier Christy Clark in 2013.

Net Worth

Murray Edwards is considered to be one of the wealthiest Canadians with a net worth of around $3 billion, according to Forbes.

Achievement

• Murray Edwards is the founder and chairman of Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL), one of the largest independent crude oil and natural gas producers in the world.
• He is also known for his philanthropic efforts and for his involvement in various organizations and charitable causes.
  He serves as the Vice Chairman of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.
• He is a member of the board of directors of Canadian Natural Resources Limited, the National Hockey League, the Canadian Olympic Committee, and the Canadian Council of Chief Executives.
• He is also the Chairman of the Board of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.
• Honorary Doctorate of Law degree from the University of Toronto
• Honorary Doctorate of Law degree from the University of Saskatchewan