Bill Comrie Net Worth

What is Bill Comrie's net worth?

Bill Comrie is a Canadian businessman who has a net worth of $500 million.

Bill Comrie is best known as the founder of The Brick, the warehouse-style furniture retailer that grew into the largest chain of its kind in Canada. His career is a classic example of necessity-driven entrepreneurship that scaled into a national empire. Forced to abandon a promising hockey path as a teenager after the sudden death of his father, Comrie stepped into a struggling family furniture store and, over the next four decades, transformed it into a multibillion-dollar retail operation with hundreds of locations across the country.

Comrie's success was built on a simple but disruptive idea: selling furniture in large, no-frills warehouse spaces at aggressively low prices, long before big-box retail became standard. Under his leadership, The Brick expanded rapidly, diversified into appliances, mattresses, and electronics, and became a dominant force in Canadian retail. Beyond business, Comrie developed a parallel reputation as a hands-on sports owner and major philanthropist, particularly in Alberta. His life reflects a blend of grit, operational instinct, and a strong sense of responsibility to family and community, traits that have defined both his wealth creation and his legacy.

Bill is also known for being the father of NHL player Mike Comrie, who was married to actress Hilary Duff from 2010 to 2016.

Early Life and Family Background

Bill Comrie was born on June 29, 1950, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. When he was two years old, his family relocated to Edmonton, Alberta, where he spent most of his childhood. He grew up in a working-class household centered around his father Herb Comrie's small furniture store, a modest operation that exposed Bill early to retail fundamentals, customer relationships, and the realities of small-business survival.

Comrie initially pursued ice hockey with serious intent. At 16, he signed a contract with the Chicago Black Hawks organization and played junior hockey for teams including the Moose Jaw Canucks and the Edmonton Oil Kings. His future appeared to be in professional sports until August 1968, when his father died suddenly at age 54. At just 18, Comrie made the decision to leave hockey behind, decline further development opportunities, and return home to help support his mother and younger brothers.

Entering the Furniture Business

After his father's death, Comrie took over the family's struggling furniture business despite having no formal business education. The store, operating under the name Alberta Factory Sales, was small, undercapitalized, and barely profitable. Comrie handled every aspect of the operation, from sales and deliveries to inventory and bookkeeping, learning retail management through trial and error.

This period proved formative. Comrie developed a strong instinct for pricing, volume sales, and cost control. He recognized that many furniture retailers relied on high margins and ornate showrooms, creating an opportunity for a stripped-down alternative focused on affordability and scale.

Founding and Expansion of The Brick

In 1971, Comrie and his brothers launched Bill Comrie's Furniture Warehouse, later rebranded simply as The Brick. The concept was radical for its time. Large warehouse-style showrooms, minimal decor, high inventory turnover, and aggressive pricing aimed at value-conscious consumers.

The model worked. The Brick expanded rapidly throughout Alberta during the 1970s and 1980s, then moved into other provinces. Over time, the company diversified beyond furniture into mattresses, appliances, and consumer electronics, increasing average transaction size and repeat business.

By the early 2000s, The Brick operated more than 160 stores nationwide and generated over $1 billion in annual revenue. Comrie became known for maintaining a strong internal culture, including profit-sharing initiatives and employee bonuses. In 2004, as the company transitioned into an income trust structure, employees collectively received tens of millions of dollars in bonuses, reinforcing loyalty in a notoriously high-turnover industry.

Sale of The Brick

In 2012, after more than 40 years at the helm, Comrie agreed to sell The Brick to Leon's Furniture for approximately $700 million. The deal preserved The Brick's brand identity and headquarters in Edmonton while integrating certain supply chain and back-office operations.

The sale marked Comrie's exit from day-to-day retail operations and provided the liquidity that allowed him to focus more fully on philanthropy, family, and selective investments. The Brick continues to operate as a major subsidiary within Leon's broader retail group, maintaining hundreds of locations across Canada.

Sports Ownership and Investments

Comrie's background in hockey and lifelong love of sports led him into professional sports ownership. In 1992, he acquired the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League when the franchise was bankrupt and at risk of collapse. During his ownership, the team was stabilized financially and won the Grey Cup in 1994, one of the most memorable championships in franchise history. He sold the Lions in 1996 after restoring their viability.

He also held a significant ownership stake in the San Diego Gulls of the International Hockey League during the early 1990s. Later, in 2015, Comrie became a minority owner of the Chicago Cubs, a largely passive investment that coincided with the team's historic World Series championship run the following year.

Philanthropy and Community Impact

Philanthropy has been a central pillar of Comrie's life, particularly in Alberta. He has supported major healthcare institutions, including the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute and the Stollery Children's Hospital, often serving in leadership roles for fundraising campaigns.

Through The Brick, he helped establish the Sports Central program, which has donated tens of thousands of pieces of sports equipment to underprivileged children. He later founded Comrie's Sports Equipment Bank, expanding those efforts independently to ensure that financial barriers did not prevent children from participating in athletics.

Comrie has also supported education through scholarships, university donations, and youth programs. His contributions earned him appointment as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2007, one of the country's highest civilian honors.

Personal Life

Comrie was married to his first wife, Theresa, until her death from cancer in 1990. They had three children together, including sons Mike and Paul, both of whom went on to play in the NHL. He later married Roxanne Comrie, with whom he has two additional sons, including Eric Comrie, who also became an NHL goaltender.

Newport Mansion

In April 2004, Bill paid an undisclosed amount for a mansion in Newport Coast, California. He still owns this home, and today it is likely worth $40-50 million. Dean Koontz was a neighbor for nearly two decades until he sold his home in June 2020 for $50 million. Tech multi-billionaire Henry Nicholas owns a somewhat notorious mansion in the area.

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