Behind every billionaire there is a story!

Profile of David Katz of Katz Group

In just 14 years, Daryl Katz has gone from being an Alberta lawyer to being Canada’s drugstore cowboy. The aggressive dealmaker now owns the nation’s largest pharmacy empire. His privately held Katz Group Inc. operates more than 1,800 drugstores across North America, including the Rexall, Pharma Plus, Guardian and I.D.A. chains.

Katz started purchasing drugstores in 1991, but it was only in 1997 that he began buying them by the hundreds through spectacular leveraged buyouts

Despite those vast holdings, Katz’s heart still pounds with the insecurity of a small businessman who is convinced he could lose it all in an instant. Running a $6.5-billion-a-year business demands the same constant reassessment of assets and management as when he owned just a couple of dozen stores. “I tell you, it never stops, you can’t stop–it’s too competitive out there,” says the 43-year-old Katz in a breathless staccato. “The bigger you get, and the more attractive your sector is, the more everybody wants a piece of you.”

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