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{{short description|Canadian politician}}
{{short description|Austro-Canadian industrialist and politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix =
⚫
| name = Frank Stronach
| native_name = <!--The person's name in their own language, if different.-->
⚫
| image = Frank Stronach 2.jpg
| native_name_lang = <!--ISO 639-1 code, e.g., "fr" for French. If more than one, use {{lang}} in |native_name= instead.-->
| image_upright =
| smallimage = <!--If this is specified, "image" should not be.-->
| smallimage_alt =
| alt =
| order =
| office = Leader of [[Team Stronach]]
| status = <!--If this is specified, overrides Incumbent.-->
| term_start = 25 September 2012
| term_end = 31 December 2017<!-- Add data only when the actual term has ended, not for terms which will end in the future. (Per usage guideline.) -->
| predecessor = ''Party established''
| successor = ''Party dissolved'' <!-- should not be filled until the successor takes office-->
⚫
| name = Frank Stronach
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|size=100%|CM}}
⚫
| image = Frank Stronach (2013) (cropped).jpg
| image_size =
| image_size =
| caption =
| caption =
| birth_name = Franz Stronach
| birth_name = Franz Strohsack
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1932|9|6|df=yes}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1932|9|6|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Gutenberg an der Raabklamm|Kleinsemmering]], [[Styria]], Austria
| birth_place = [[Gutenberg an der Raabklamm|Kleinsemmering]], [[Styria]], Austria
| death_date =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| death_place =
| occupation = Businessman<br />Racehorse owner/breeder
| occupation = Businessman<br />Racehorse owner/breeder
| spouse = Elfriede Sallmutter
| spouse = Elfriede Sallmutter
| children = [[Belinda Stronach|Belinda]], Andrew
| children = [[Belinda Stronach|Belinda]], Andrew
| honors =
| honours = [[Order of Canada]] (1999)
| nationality = Austrian and Canadian
| nationality = Austrian and Canadian
| awards = '''[[Thoroughbred]] [[horse racing]] awards:''' {{unbulleted list
| awards = [[Order of Canada]]<br />(1999) <br />
'''[[Thoroughbred]] [[horse racing]] awards:''' {{unbulleted list
⚫
| [[Sovereign Award for Outstanding Breeder]]<br />(1997, 1998, 1999)
| [[Sovereign Award for Outstanding Owner]]<br />(1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005)
| [[Sovereign Award for Outstanding Owner]]<br />(1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005)
| [[Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder]]<br />(2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
| [[Sovereign Award for Outstanding Breeder]]<br />(1997, 1998, 1999)
| [[Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owner]]<br />(1998, 1999, 2000, 2008)
| [[Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owner]]<br />(1998, 1999, 2000, 2008)

⚫
| [[Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder]]<br />(2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
}}
}}
}}
}}


'''Frank Stronach''' {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|CM}} (born 6 September 1932) is an Austrian and Canadian billionaire businessman and politician.
'''Frank Stronach''' {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|CM}} (born 6 September 1932) is an Austro-Canadian billionaire businessman and politician.


[[File:Frank Stronach 2.jpg|thumb|Frank Stronach (2013)]]
⚫
He is the founder of [[Magna International]], an international automotive parts company based in [[Aurora, Ontario]], Canada, [[Granite Real Estate]], and the [[Stronach Group]]. With an estimated net worth of $CAD 3.06 billion (as of December 2017), Stronach was ranked by ''[[Canadian Business]]'' as the 31st richest Canadian.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.canadianbusiness.com/lists-and-rankings/richest-people/rich-100-frank-stronach/ |title=Canada's Richest People: Frank Stronach |work=Canadian Business |access-date=18 February 2021}}</ref>
⚫
He is the founder of [[Magna International]], an international automotive parts company based in [[Aurora, Ontario]], Canada, [[Granite Real Estate]], and the [[Stronach Group]]. With an estimated net worth of [[Canadian dollar|$C]]3.06 billion (as of December 2017), Stronach was ranked by ''[[Canadian Business]]'' as the 31st richest Canadian.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.canadianbusiness.com/lists-and-rankings/richest-people/rich-100-frank-stronach/ |title=Canada's Richest People: Frank Stronach |work=Canadian Business |access-date=18 February 2021}}</ref>


In 2011, he entered Austrian politics: founding the Stronach Institute to campaign for [[classical liberalism]]{{Citation needed|date=September 2012}} and against the [[euro]]. In 2012, he founded the political party [[Team Stronach|Team Stronach for Austria]].
In 2011, he entered Austrian politics: founding the Stronach Institute to campaign for a [[flat tax]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2012-08-15 |title=Dafür stehen wir {{!}} Frank Stronach Institut |url=http://www.stronachinstitut.at/dafur-stehen-wir |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120815121452/http://www.stronachinstitut.at/dafur-stehen-wir |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-08-15 |access-date=2024-07-06 }}</ref> and lowering [[national debt]].<ref name=":0" /> In 2012, he founded the political party [[Team Stronach|Team Stronach for Austria]].


In 2024, he was arrested and charged with 13 offenses, including rape, indecent assault on a female, eight counts of sexual assault and one of forcible confinement, involving 10 alleged victims.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gillis |first1=Wendy |title=Frank Stronach charged in sex assaults involving seven new victims, court documents indicate |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/frank-stronach-charged-in-sex-assaults-involving-seven-new-victims-court-documents-indicate/article_eba11364-356b-11ef-acd3-032f1204ad6a.html |access-date=June 28, 2024 |work=Toronto Star |date=June 28, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-07 |title=Canadian businessman Frank Stronach charged in sex assault probe |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/frank-stronach-peel-police-sexual-assault-investigation-1.7228988 |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=CBC News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Arrest made in Sexual Assault Investigation |url=https://www.peelpolice.ca//en/Modules/News/index.aspx?newsId=c17c5e41-ff70-4701-a114-573c6f030839 |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=Peel Regional Police |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Billionaire Frank Stronach charged with 8 more criminal counts including sexual assault, police say |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/frank-stronach-additional-charges-peel-police-1.7247553 |access-date=June 27, 2024 |work=CBC News |date=June 26, 2024}}</ref> Police allege that the sexual assaults spanned from the 1980s to 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-07 |title=Canadian billionaire Frank Stronach charged with for sexual assault |url=https://apnews.com/article/frank-stronach-arrested-sexual-assault-canadian-austrian-billionaire-2ae85145e7d2962234c14a7c8d727685 |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref>
⚫
==Early life and family==
⚫
Of Croatian heritage he was born as Franz Strohsack in [[Gutenberg an der Raabklamm|Kleinsemmering, Styria]], Austria, to working-class parents,<ref>http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130502205454/http://toronto.jnf.ca/images/FrankStronach_invite%2Dweb.pdf {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dbusiness.com/DBusiness/January-February-2011/Magna |title=Magna Force - DBusiness - January / February 2011 - Detroit, MI |website=DBusiness.com |date=June 2009 |access-date=7 March 2017}}</ref> Stronach's childhood was marked by the [[Great Depression]] and the Second World War. At age 14, he left school to apprentice as a tool and die maker. In 1954, he arrived in [[Montreal]], [[Quebec]], and later moved to [[Ontario]].


⚫
==Early life and family==
==Family==
⚫
Of Croatian heritage he was born as Franz Strohsack in [[Gutenberg an der Raabklamm|Kleinsemmering, Styria]], Austria, to working-class parents.<ref>http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130502205454/http://toronto.jnf.ca/images/FrankStronach_invite%2Dweb.pdf </ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dbusiness.com/DBusiness/January-February-2011/Magna |title=Magna Force - DBusiness - January / February 2011 - Detroit, MI |website=DBusiness.com |date=June 2009 |access-date=7 March 2017}}</ref>
⚫
He married Elfriede Sallmutter, a fellow Austrian. They have two children: [[Belinda Stronach]], a former [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] (and previously [[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]]) [[Member of Parliament|MP]] and former [[Chief executive officer|CEO]] of Magna, and Andrew Stronach, who is involved in thoroughbred horse racing, via the [[Adena Springs Farms]] breeding operations. He divides his time between [[Oberwaltersdorf|Oberwaltersdorf, Austria]], and [[Aurora, Ontario]]. {{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}


⚫
He married Elfriede Sallmutter, a fellow Austrian. They have two children: [[Belinda Stronach]], a former [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] (and previously [[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]]) [[Member of Parliament|MP]] and former [[Chief executive officer|CEO]] of Magna, and Andrew Stronach, who is involved in Thoroughbred horse racing, via the [[Adena Springs Farms]] breeding operations. His grandchildren include electronic musician [[Frank Walker (musician)|Frank Walker]].
Frank and Elfriede Stronach have three grandchildren, Frank Walker and Nicole Walker who are [[Belinda Stronach]]'s children and Selena Stronach who is Andrew Stronach's only child.


==Business career==
==Business career==
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On 1 October 2018, he and his wife filed a lawsuit against their daughter Belinda, their grandchildren Nicole and Frank Walker, and Alon Ossip for failure to honour commitments regarding the management of The Stronach Group (TSG), from which Frank Stronach resigned as trustee in 2013 when he ran for office in Austria.[4] The settlement to the lawsuit was announced on 13 August 2020. As part of the settlement, Frank and Elfriede will assume full control and ownership of a stallion and breeding business, all farm operations in North America, and all European assets. Belinda Stronach retains full control of The Stronach Group's horse racing, gaming, real estate and related assets.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|title=Stronach family settles lawsuits, splits fortune between Belinda, Frank - National {{!}} Globalnews.ca|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7273114/stronach-family-lawsuits-settlement/|access-date=13 September 2021|website=Global News|language=en-US}}</ref>
On 1 October 2018, he and his wife filed a lawsuit against their daughter Belinda, their grandchildren Nicole and Frank Walker, and Alon Ossip for failure to honour commitments regarding the management of The Stronach Group (TSG), from which Frank Stronach resigned as trustee in 2013 when he ran for office in Austria.[4] The settlement to the lawsuit was announced on 13 August 2020. As part of the settlement, Frank and Elfriede will assume full control and ownership of a stallion and breeding business, all farm operations in North America, and all European assets. Belinda Stronach retains full control of The Stronach Group's horse racing, gaming, real estate and related assets.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|title=Stronach family settles lawsuits, splits fortune between Belinda, Frank - National {{!}} Globalnews.ca|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7273114/stronach-family-lawsuits-settlement/|access-date=13 September 2021|website=Global News|language=en-US}}</ref>


Other ventures by Stronach over the years include the "As Prime Minister, I Would…" symposium, the Fair Enterprise Institute think tank, the business magazine ''Vista'', Frank's Energy Drink, and the beef ranch operations of Adena Farms.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wells |first1=Jennifer |title=Frank Stronach (Profile) |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/frank-stronach-profile-macleans |access-date=9 June 2024 |work=[[Maclean's]] |date=30 September 1996 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Willis |first1=Andrew |title=Frank versus Belinda. It’s a battle for the Stronach family fortune |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-stronach-strife-frank-versus-belinda-for-the-family-fortune/ |access-date=9 June 2024 |work=The Globe and Mail |date=2 November 2018 |language=en-CA}}</ref>
===Activities in Austria===
In 1986, Stronach founded [[Magna Europa]], with headquarters in [[Oberwaltersdorf]], [[Lower Austria]]. He started to become a notable figure also in the Austrian public in the late 1990s. In 1997, he announced the project to build an [[amusement park]] in [[Ebreichsdorf]], which would have included a giant globe representing the Earth that would have been 110 m high and visible from every point in the [[Viennese Basin]]. The project failed due to several public opposition. {{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

In 1998, Magna took over [[Steyr-Daimler-Puch]]. In the newly merged company [[Magna Steyr]], he successfully prevented the establishment of [[works council]]s, in violation of Austrian [[labour law]] by reprimanding workers who were cooperating with [[trade union|unions]]. In 2003, Stronach also planned to take over [[VOEST]], but this project failed. In 2004, a leisure center and the [[show jumping]] site Magna Racino were inaugurated at [[Ebreichsdorf]].


==Thoroughbred horse racing==
==Thoroughbred horse racing==
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==Politics==
==Politics==


In the [[1988 Canadian federal election]], Stronach was the [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] candidate in [[York—Simcoe]], receiving 35% of the vote to place second to [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative]] winner [[John E. Cole]].
===Canadian politics===
Stronach was a candidate of the [[Liberal Party of Canada]] in the [[1988 Canadian federal election|1988 federal election]] for the riding of [[York—Simcoe (federal electoral district)|York—Simcoe]], but was defeated by the [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative]] [[John Cole (Canadian politician)|John Cole]]. Magna International has also been noted for its connections to the [[Ontario PC Party]] and the [[Ontario Liberal Party]]. {{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}


These connections were most famously exhibited when Progressive Conservative Premier [[Ernie Eves]] and Finance Minister [[Janet Ecker]] delivered the 2003 Ontario budget from a Magna plant. This led to accusations that the government was violating centuries of parliamentary tradition, and is generally believed to have had a negative impact on the Progressive Conservatives in the next provincial election. {{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

===Austrian politics===
In 2011, Stronach entered Austrian politics, proposing the establishment of a new political party: a "Citizens' Alliance" advocating tax, health, and education reform.<ref>{{cite news|title=Frank Stronach überlegt Partei-Gründung|url=http://diepresse.com/home/politik/innenpolitik/674145/Frank-Stronach-ueberlegt-ParteiGruendung|newspaper=[[Die Presse]]|date=30 June 2011|access-date=12 May 2012|language=de}}</ref> In November 2011, he called for an 'intellectual revolution' in Austria, suggesting that he would be willing to fund a student-led political party.<ref name="Frank Stronach krempelt die Armel">{{cite news|title=Frank Stronach krempelt die Ärmel wieder auf|url=http://diepresse.com/home/wirtschaft/economist/kordiconomy/709927/Frank-Stronach-krempelt-die-Aermel-wieder-auf|newspaper=[[Die Presse]]|date=18 November 2011|access-date=12 May 2012|language=de}}</ref>
In 2011, Stronach entered Austrian politics, proposing the establishment of a new political party: a "Citizens' Alliance" advocating tax, health, and education reform.<ref>{{cite news|title=Frank Stronach überlegt Partei-Gründung|url=http://diepresse.com/home/politik/innenpolitik/674145/Frank-Stronach-ueberlegt-ParteiGruendung|newspaper=[[Die Presse]]|date=30 June 2011|access-date=12 May 2012|language=de}}</ref> In November 2011, he called for an 'intellectual revolution' in Austria, suggesting that he would be willing to fund a student-led political party.<ref name="Frank Stronach krempelt die Armel">{{cite news|title=Frank Stronach krempelt die Ärmel wieder auf|url=http://diepresse.com/home/wirtschaft/economist/kordiconomy/709927/Frank-Stronach-krempelt-die-Aermel-wieder-auf|newspaper=[[Die Presse]]|date=18 November 2011|access-date=12 May 2012|language=de}}</ref>


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His programme was compared to the [[Alliance for the Future of Austria]] (BZÖ); Stronach had admired the BZÖ's leader [[Josef Bucher]] as the only politician in Austria that represented [[economic liberalism]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Die Stronach-BZÖ-Connection|url=http://diepresse.com/home/wirtschaft/economist/kordiconomy/745140/Die-StronachBZOeConnection|newspaper=[[Die Presse]]|date=30 March 2012|access-date=12 May 2012|language=de}}</ref> This led to suggestions that Stronach would take over the BZÖ ahead of the [[2013 Austrian legislative election|2013 elections]] so as to give his movement seats in Parliament.<ref>{{cite news|title=Frank Stronach, BZÖ-Mandatar in spe|url=http://diepresse.com/home/politik/innenpolitik/755162/Frank-Stronach-BZOeMandatar-in-spe|newspaper=[[Die Presse]]|date=5 May 2012|access-date=12 May 2012|language=de}}</ref>
His programme was compared to the [[Alliance for the Future of Austria]] (BZÖ); Stronach had admired the BZÖ's leader [[Josef Bucher]] as the only politician in Austria that represented [[economic liberalism]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Die Stronach-BZÖ-Connection|url=http://diepresse.com/home/wirtschaft/economist/kordiconomy/745140/Die-StronachBZOeConnection|newspaper=[[Die Presse]]|date=30 March 2012|access-date=12 May 2012|language=de}}</ref> This led to suggestions that Stronach would take over the BZÖ ahead of the [[2013 Austrian legislative election|2013 elections]] so as to give his movement seats in Parliament.<ref>{{cite news|title=Frank Stronach, BZÖ-Mandatar in spe|url=http://diepresse.com/home/politik/innenpolitik/755162/Frank-Stronach-BZOeMandatar-in-spe|newspaper=[[Die Presse]]|date=5 May 2012|access-date=12 May 2012|language=de}}</ref>


The new party, called [[Team Stronach]], was launched in September 2012.<ref>{{cite news|title=Magna founder to launch Austrian party|first=Andreas|last=Cremer|url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-magna-party-idUKBRE87A03U20120811|newspaper=[[Reuters]]|date=11 August 2012|access-date=26 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2012/09/27/frank-stronach-austria.html|title=Frank Stronach launches campaign to lead Austria|work=cbc.ca|access-date=25 October 2012}}</ref> Four MPs – [[Gerhard Köfer]] of the [[Social Democratic Party of Austria|Social Democratic Party]], [[Elisabeth Kaufmann-Bruckberger]] of the BZÖ and independents [[Robert Lugar (politician)|Robert Lugar]] and [[Erich Tadler]] agreed to join the party.<ref>{{cite news|title=Stronach-Partei: Gerüchte um vierten Mandatar "falsch"|url=http://diepresse.com/home/politik/innenpolitik/1283045/StronachPartei_Geruechte-um-vierten-Mandatar-falsch|newspaper=[[Die Presse]]|date=26 August 2012|access-date=12 May 2012|language=de}}</ref> The endorsement of at least three members of the National Council was required for a party to compete in general elections (alternatively, a quorum of 2,600 signatures in support of the party's candidacy have to be collected).<ref>{{cite news|title=Antritt gesichert: Stronach holt dritten Mandatar an Bord|url=http://diepresse.com/home/politik/innenpolitik/1282120/Antritt-gesichert_Stronach-holt-dritten-Mandatar-an-Bord|newspaper=[[Die Presse]]|date=23 August 2012|access-date=12 May 2012|language=de}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bmi.gv.at/cms/BMI_wahlen/nationalrat/kandidatur.aspx|title=Wahlen – Wie kann man bei einer Nationalratswahl kandidieren?|publisher=Austrian Interior Ministry|access-date=2 October 2013|language=de}}</ref>
The new party, called [[Team Stronach]], was launched in September 2012.<ref>{{cite news|title=Magna founder to launch Austrian party|first=Andreas|last=Cremer|url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-magna-party-idUKBRE87A03U20120811|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306162048/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-magna-party-idUKBRE87A03U20120811|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 March 2016|newspaper=[[Reuters]]|date=11 August 2012|access-date=26 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/frank-stronach-launches-campaign-to-lead-austria-1.1281048|title=Frank Stronach launches campaign to lead Austria|work=cbc.ca|access-date=25 October 2012}}</ref> Four MPs – [[Gerhard Köfer]] of the [[Social Democratic Party of Austria|Social Democratic Party]], [[Elisabeth Kaufmann-Bruckberger]] of the BZÖ and independents [[Robert Lugar (politician)|Robert Lugar]] and [[Erich Tadler]] agreed to join the party.<ref>{{cite news|title=Stronach-Partei: Gerüchte um vierten Mandatar "falsch"|url=http://diepresse.com/home/politik/innenpolitik/1283045/StronachPartei_Geruechte-um-vierten-Mandatar-falsch|newspaper=[[Die Presse]]|date=26 August 2012|access-date=12 May 2012|language=de}}</ref> The endorsement of at least three members of the National Council was required for a party to compete in general elections (alternatively, a quorum of 2,600 signatures in support of the party's candidacy have to be collected).<ref>{{cite news|title=Antritt gesichert: Stronach holt dritten Mandatar an Bord|url=http://diepresse.com/home/politik/innenpolitik/1282120/Antritt-gesichert_Stronach-holt-dritten-Mandatar-an-Bord|newspaper=[[Die Presse]]|date=23 August 2012|access-date=12 May 2012|language=de}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bmi.gv.at/cms/BMI_wahlen/nationalrat/kandidatur.aspx|title=Wahlen – Wie kann man bei einer Nationalratswahl kandidieren?|publisher=Austrian Interior Ministry|access-date=2 October 2013|language=de}}</ref>

Stronach campaigned for the party, but did not lead it. It took part in the 2013 national election and won 11 seats. Stronach got one seat and therefore became a member of the Austrian parliament, but by 2014 he had passed his seat on. The party dissolved in 2017, before the next election.

==Football==
Stronach is also interested in [[football (soccer)|football]] (soccer). He was the main sponsor of [[FK Austria Wien|FK Austria Vienna]] from 1999 until 2005. In spite of a budget three times larger than its closest competitors and the fact that Stronach was at the same time the president of the [[Austrian Bundesliga]], the club managed to win the [[Austrian champions (football)|Austrian Championship]] only twice. Due to opposition among prominent members of [[FK Austria Wien]], Stronach decided on 21 November 2005 to withdraw from the club. On 24 November 2005, he decided not to seek re-election as president of the Austrian Bundesliga.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}

Stronach also founded the Frank Stronach Football Academy in [[Hollabrunn (district)|Hollabrunn]] to train and educate adolescent players. The academy was closed in 2009.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}


==Hurricane Katrina==
==Hurricane Katrina==
On 6 September 2005, Stronach announced that he and [[Magna International]] were committing $2 million to start a model community for people displaced by [[Hurricane Katrina]]. The ''[[Toronto Star]]'' reported that "Magna Entertainment Corp. is [currently] providing housing for about 260 evacuees from the New Orleans area at a racetrack training facility in [[Palm Beach County, Florida]] and will move them to a new community in November. Auto-parts giant Magna International Inc. and MEC are scouting for about {{convert|500|to|1000|acre|km2|0}} in an area of Baton Rouge in Louisiana to set up trailers and infrastructure. "[W]e would like to build a small community where we would try to be sponsors for the next five to seven years", Stronach said in an interview with ''The Star''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1126043418180 |title=Toronto Star &#124; Canada's largest daily |website=Thestar.com |date=3 March 2017 |access-date=7 March 2017}}</ref> Further details were announced on 6 October 2005, and that the new development would be officially known as Magnaville. Later the name [[Canadaville, Louisiana|Canadaville]] was adopted.
On 6 September 2005, Stronach announced that he and [[Magna International]] were committing $2 million to start a model community for people displaced by [[Hurricane Katrina]]. The ''[[Toronto Star]]'' reported that "Magna Entertainment Corp. is [currently] providing housing for about 260 evacuees from the New Orleans area at a racetrack training facility in [[Palm Beach County, Florida]] and will move them to a new community in November. Auto-parts giant Magna International Inc. and MEC are scouting for about {{convert|500|to|1000|acre|km2|0}} in an area of Baton Rouge in Louisiana to set up trailers and infrastructure. "[W]e would like to build a small community where we would try to be sponsors for the next five to seven years", Stronach said in an interview with ''The Star''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1126043418180 |title=Toronto Star &#124; Canada's largest daily |website=Thestar.com |date=3 March 2017 |access-date=7 March 2017}}</ref>


==Honours==
==Honours==
In 1999, Stronach was made a member of the [[Order of Canada]]. In December 1997, Stronach was awarded an honorary Doctor of Engineering by [[Kettering University]].
In 1999, Stronach was made a [[Order of Canada#Grades|Member of the Order of Canada]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Mr. Frank Stronach {{!}} Aurora, Ontario, Canada {{!}} Member of the Order of Canada |date=1999-04-15 |publisher=[[Governor General of Canada]] |url=https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/146-6286 |access-date=2024-05-07}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
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Revision as of 20:18, 12 September 2024

Frank Stronach
CM
Leader of Team Stronach
In office
25 September 2012 – 31 December 2017
Preceded byParty established
Succeeded byParty dissolved
Personal details
Born
Franz Strohsack

(1932-09-06) 6 September 1932 (age 92)
Kleinsemmering, Styria, Austria
NationalityAustrian and Canadian
SpouseElfriede Sallmutter
ChildrenBelinda, Andrew
OccupationBusinessman
Racehorse owner/breeder
AwardsOrder of Canada
(1999)
Thoroughbred horse racing awards:

Frank Stronach CM (born 6 September 1932) is an Austro-Canadian billionaire businessman and politician.

Frank Stronach (2013)

He is the founder of Magna International, an international automotive parts company based in Aurora, Ontario, Canada, Granite Real Estate, and the Stronach Group. With an estimated net worth of $C3.06 billion (as of December 2017), Stronach was ranked by Canadian Business as the 31st richest Canadian.[1]

In 2011, he entered Austrian politics: founding the Stronach Institute to campaign for a flat tax[2] and lowering national debt.[2] In 2012, he founded the political party Team Stronach for Austria.

In 2024, he was arrested and charged with 13 offenses, including rape, indecent assault on a female, eight counts of sexual assault and one of forcible confinement, involving 10 alleged victims.[3][4][5][6] Police allege that the sexual assaults spanned from the 1980s to 2023.[7]

Early life and family

Of Croatian heritage he was born as Franz Strohsack in Kleinsemmering, Styria, Austria, to working-class parents.[8][9]

He married Elfriede Sallmutter, a fellow Austrian. They have two children: Belinda Stronach, a former Liberal (and previously Conservative) MP and former CEO of Magna, and Andrew Stronach, who is involved in Thoroughbred horse racing, via the Adena Springs Farms breeding operations. His grandchildren include electronic musician Frank Walker.

Business career

In 1956, Stronach started his first business, Multimatic Investments Ltd., in the old manufacturing district of Toronto. In 1969, his firm acquired its first automotive parts contract and merged with Magna Electronics. In 1973, the name was converted from Multimatic Investments Ltd to Magna International Ltd.

Stronach, who is currently[when?] the non-executive chairman of Magna International, holds multiple-voting shares of the company, which gives him majority voting power over issues brought to shareholder vote. Although he controls the voting power among Magna's shareholders, Stronach owns only 4% of Magna's equity. His pay packages over the past few years have been between $30 and 50 million CAD. [citation needed] In October 2018, he sued the Stronach Group.[10]

On 1 October 2018, he and his wife filed a lawsuit against their daughter Belinda, their grandchildren Nicole and Frank Walker, and Alon Ossip for failure to honour commitments regarding the management of The Stronach Group (TSG), from which Frank Stronach resigned as trustee in 2013 when he ran for office in Austria.[4] The settlement to the lawsuit was announced on 13 August 2020. As part of the settlement, Frank and Elfriede will assume full control and ownership of a stallion and breeding business, all farm operations in North America, and all European assets. Belinda Stronach retains full control of The Stronach Group's horse racing, gaming, real estate and related assets.[11]

Other ventures by Stronach over the years include the "As Prime Minister, I Would…" symposium, the Fair Enterprise Institute think tank, the business magazine Vista, Frank's Energy Drink, and the beef ranch operations of Adena Farms.[12][13]

Thoroughbred horse racing

In 2011, Stronach along with his daughter Belinda Stronach, founded The Stronach Group, a horse racing, entertainment and pari-mutuel wagering technology company. The Stronach Group horse racing industry brands include; Santa Anita Park, "The Great Race Place"; Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness Stakes; Gulfstream Park, one of Florida's entertainment destination centers, and home to the $16-million Pegasus World Cup Invitational, the world's richest Thoroughbred horse race; Laurel Park; Golden Gate Fields; Portland Meadows; and Rosecroft Raceway. The Stronach Group is in pari-mutuel technology through its subsidiaries AmTote and Xpressbet and is a distributor of horse racing content to audiences through Monarch Content Management. A settlement to the lawsuit launched by Stronach on 1 October 2018, was announced on 13 August 2020. As part of the settlement, Stronach assumes full control and ownership of a stallion and breeding business, all farm operations in North America, and all European assets while Belinda Stronach retains full control of The Stronach Group's horse racing, gaming, real estate and related assets. Stronach no longer plays a role in The Stronach Group.[11]

Among his early successes was his partnership with Nelson Bunker Hunt in the filly Glorious Song who was voted the 1980 Sovereign Award for Canadian Horse of the Year.

His horses have won the Queen's Plate in 1994 and 1997, the Belmont Stakes in 1997, and the Preakness Stakes in 2000. His horse Ghostzapper won several major races including the 2004 Breeders' Cup Classic, was voted the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year, and named the World's Top Ranked Horse for 2004. In Canada, Stronach and/or his Stronach Stables has won the Sovereign Award for Outstanding Owner nine times. In the United States, he earned the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owner in 1998, 1999, and 2000. In 2000, he won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder. He subsequently established Adena Springs Farms which owns horse breeding farms in Kentucky, Florida and Canada and won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder in 2004, 2005 and 2006. [citation needed]

Politics

In the 1988 Canadian federal election, Stronach was the Liberal candidate in York—Simcoe, receiving 35% of the vote to place second to Progressive Conservative winner John E. Cole.

In 2011, Stronach entered Austrian politics, proposing the establishment of a new political party: a "Citizens' Alliance" advocating tax, health, and education reform.[14] In November 2011, he called for an 'intellectual revolution' in Austria, suggesting that he would be willing to fund a student-led political party.[15]

Stronach's plans to form a new party gained prominence in 2012. He called for a flat tax of 20%, a reduction in bureaucracy by 10% over five years, and a balanced budget.[16] Stronach argued that Austria should stay in the EU, but that the euro was a 'monstrosity'.[17]

His programme was compared to the Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ); Stronach had admired the BZÖ's leader Josef Bucher as the only politician in Austria that represented economic liberalism.[18] This led to suggestions that Stronach would take over the BZÖ ahead of the 2013 elections so as to give his movement seats in Parliament.[19]

The new party, called Team Stronach, was launched in September 2012.[20][21] Four MPs – Gerhard Köfer of the Social Democratic Party, Elisabeth Kaufmann-Bruckberger of the BZÖ and independents Robert Lugar and Erich Tadler agreed to join the party.[22] The endorsement of at least three members of the National Council was required for a party to compete in general elections (alternatively, a quorum of 2,600 signatures in support of the party's candidacy have to be collected).[23][24]

Hurricane Katrina

On 6 September 2005, Stronach announced that he and Magna International were committing $2 million to start a model community for people displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The Toronto Star reported that "Magna Entertainment Corp. is [currently] providing housing for about 260 evacuees from the New Orleans area at a racetrack training facility in Palm Beach County, Florida and will move them to a new community in November. Auto-parts giant Magna International Inc. and MEC are scouting for about 500 to 1,000 acres (2 to 4 km2) in an area of Baton Rouge in Louisiana to set up trailers and infrastructure. "[W]e would like to build a small community where we would try to be sponsors for the next five to seven years", Stronach said in an interview with The Star.[25]

Honours

In 1999, Stronach was made a Member of the Order of Canada.[26]

References

  1. ^ "Canada's Richest People: Frank Stronach". Canadian Business. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Dafür stehen wir | Frank Stronach Institut". 15 August 2012. Archived from the original on 15 August 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  3. ^ Gillis, Wendy (28 June 2024). "Frank Stronach charged in sex assaults involving seven new victims, court documents indicate". Toronto Star. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  4. ^ "Canadian businessman Frank Stronach charged in sex assault probe". CBC News. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  5. ^ "Arrest made in Sexual Assault Investigation". Peel Regional Police. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  6. ^ "Billionaire Frank Stronach charged with 8 more criminal counts including sexual assault, police say". CBC News. 26 June 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  7. ^ "Canadian billionaire Frank Stronach charged with for sexual assault". AP News. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  8. ^ http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130502205454/http://toronto.jnf.ca/images/FrankStronach_invite%2Dweb.pdf
  9. ^ "Magna Force - DBusiness - January / February 2011 - Detroit, MI". DBusiness.com. June 2009. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  10. ^ Hegarty, Matt (11 October 2018), Stronach files $400M lawsuit against daughter, former CEO, DRF, retrieved 14 October 2018
  11. ^ a b "Stronach family settles lawsuits, splits fortune between Belinda, Frank - National | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  12. ^ Wells, Jennifer (30 September 1996). "Frank Stronach (Profile)". Maclean's. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  13. ^ Willis, Andrew (2 November 2018). "Frank versus Belinda. It's a battle for the Stronach family fortune". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  14. ^ "Frank Stronach überlegt Partei-Gründung". Die Presse (in German). 30 June 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  15. ^ "Frank Stronach krempelt die Ärmel wieder auf". Die Presse (in German). 18 November 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  16. ^ "Stronach will Flat Tax für Österreich". Die Presse (in German). 21 March 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  17. ^ "Stronach: Finanzielle Hilfe für etwaige Studentenpartei". Die Presse (in German). 17 November 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  18. ^ "Die Stronach-BZÖ-Connection". Die Presse (in German). 30 March 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  19. ^ "Frank Stronach, BZÖ-Mandatar in spe". Die Presse (in German). 5 May 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  20. ^ Cremer, Andreas (11 August 2012). "Magna founder to launch Austrian party". Reuters. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  21. ^ "Frank Stronach launches campaign to lead Austria". cbc.ca. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  22. ^ "Stronach-Partei: Gerüchte um vierten Mandatar "falsch"". Die Presse (in German). 26 August 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  23. ^ "Antritt gesichert: Stronach holt dritten Mandatar an Bord". Die Presse (in German). 23 August 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  24. ^ "Wahlen – Wie kann man bei einer Nationalratswahl kandidieren?" (in German). Austrian Interior Ministry. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
  25. ^ "Toronto Star | Canada's largest daily". Thestar.com. 3 March 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  26. ^ "Mr. Frank Stronach | Aurora, Ontario, Canada | Member of the Order of Canada". Governor General of Canada. 15 April 1999. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
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