{{Short description|Canadian businessman}} {{ambox|issue=This article is '''written like an advertisement'''. |fix=To meet Wikipedia's quality standards and comply with Wikipedia's neutral point of view policy, it may require substantial cleanup.|type=content| date=June 2025}} {{COI|date=June 2025}} {{Use Canadian English|date=April 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox person |birth_name = | image = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1945|7|8|mf=Y}}<ref>{{cite web | title=Larry Tanenbaum | url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/larry-tanenbaum }}</ref> | birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada | death_date = | death_place = | education = Cornell University (BS) | boards = Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment | children = | spouse = }}
'''Lawrence M. Tanenbaum''' {{post-nominals|country=CAN|OC}} (born 1945) is a Canadian businessman and board member of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE). He owns a 20% stake in MLSE through his holding company '''Kilmer Sports Inc.''' He is also a co-owner of Coca-Cola Canada Bottling, the bottler and distributor of Coca-Cola Company products in Canada.
==Early life== Tanenbaum was born to a Jewish family, son of Max (owner of York Steel) and Anne Tanenbaum,<ref>Mendelsohn, Ezra [https://books.google.com/books?id=-_Si5OP6cjkC&q=tanenbaum&pg=PA98 Jews and the Sporting Life: Studies in Contemporary Jewry XXIII] March 31, 2009</ref> and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from Cornell University in 1968.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160616192749/http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Columnists/Gross/2007/05/06/4158406-sun.html The controlled world of Larry Tanenbaum]</ref>
The family's patriarch, Abraham Tanenbaum, left Parczew, Congress Poland, north of Lublin, for New York in 1911. Two Toronto-bound friends from the same town persuaded Abraham to join them. Shortly after arriving in Toronto, Abraham was driving a horse and cart through residential and industrial areas of Toronto looking for scrap metal. By 1914, just before the war in Europe, Abraham had saved enough to bring his wife, Chippa Sura, and two young sons Joseph and Max to accompany him in Toronto.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://speeches.empireclub.org/62981/data?n=1 |title = My Grandparents' Legacy: The Empire Club Addresses}}</ref> Abraham prospered and constructed the Runnymede Iron and Steel Company into a major steel fabrication company and real estate empire. His son, Max, who founded his own company, York Steel, had seven children, among them Larry, who studied economics at Cornell University.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cjnews.com/culture/canada-150/larry-tanenbaum-toronto-sports-king |title = Larry Tanenbaum: Toronto sports king| work=The Canadian Jewish News | date=August 18, 2017 }}</ref>
==Business activities== ===Sports=== Tanenbaum has had a long-standing interest in sports and entertainment. In 1991 he led an unsuccessful effort to bring an NBA franchise to Toronto. In 1996 he acquired an interest in the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey club and arena. In 1998 Tanenbaum was an active force in the acquisition of the Toronto Raptors basketball team and Air Canada Centre by the Toronto Maple Leafs, which together formed Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE). Tanenbaum's holding company '''Kilmer Sports Inc.''' owns a 25% stake in MLSE.<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/rogers-bell-close-mlse-deal-1.1245815 Rogers, Bell, close MLSE deal], CBCnews</ref> Tanenbaum is chair emeritus of MLSE,<ref name=board>{{cite web|url=http://mlse.com/our-company/board-of-directors/|title=Board of Directors|access-date=July 8, 2025|publisher=Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment}}</ref> chairman of the board of the National Basketball Association, and a governor<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://records.nhl.com/organization/board-of-governors|title=National Hockey League Board of Governors|website=NHL.com|access-date=June 12, 2019}}</ref> and member of the executive committee of the National Hockey League, the NBA, and Major League Soccer (Toronto FC professional soccer club, which MLSE also owns). He is a member of the board of the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Ontario.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hhof.com/htmlGeneralInfo/gi20100.shtml|title=Board of Directors and Officers|website=Hockey Hall of Fame|access-date=June 12, 2019}}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
In November 2023, Tanenbaum and OMERS announced that the latter had agreed to purchase 20% of Kilmer Sports (giving it an indirect 5% holding of MLSE) for US$400 million. Tanenbaum will continue in his management role of the company, with OMERS being a silent partner.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-omers-reaches-deal-to-buy-stake-in-mlse-for-547-million/|title=OMERS reaches deal to buy stake in MLSE for $400-million|first=James|last=Bradshaw|date=November 6, 2023|publisher=Globe and Mail}}</ref>
MLSE explored applying for a Toronto-based Women's National Basketball Association expansion franchise, but eventually decided against it.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/business/toronto-s-wnba-dream-was-dead-months-before-the-exhibition-game-the-inside-story-of/article_af55381b-d4a2-5ffb-94be-09c62df1e5a4.html|title=Toronto's WNBA dream was dead months before the exhibition game: The inside story of how MLSE walked away|date=November 5, 2023|accessdate=January 11, 2024|publisher=Toronto Star}}</ref> Instead, Tanenbaum's '''Kilmer Sports Ventures''' independently submitted an application for a WNBA expansion team for Toronto, which was granted by the league in May 2024.<ref name=ESPN-2>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/40202150/toronto-awarded-wnba-1st-team-us-play-26|title=Toronto awarded WNBA's 1st team outside U.S., to play in '26|publisher=ESPN|date=May 23, 2024|accessdate=May 24, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|title=WNBA Expands to Canada with Toronto Selected as the League's 14th Team|url=https://www.wnba.com/news/expansion-toronto-2026-announcement|publisher=Women's National Basketball Association|date=May 23, 2024|access-date=May 23, 2024}}</ref> An expansion fee of US$50 million was paid for the franchise.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/business/edward-rogers-argued-against-a-toronto-wnba-franchise-but-tanenbaum-went-ahead-and-got-one/article_dde69db8-1dea-11ef-8828-3fa01376cfbd.html|title=Edward Rogers argued against a Toronto WNBA franchise — but Tanenbaum went ahead and got one. Who was right?|date=May 31, 2024|accessdate=September 21, 2024|publisher=Toronto Star}}</ref>
In June 2024 Kilmer Sports Ventures acquired AS Saint-Étienne, a French club freshly promoted back to Ligue 1, the top-level soccer league of France. Founded in 1933, Saint-Étienne is one of the country’s most decorated teams, with ten Ligue 1 titles. Kilmer Sports Ventures cited the club’s legacy, national following, and strong community role as reasons for the acquisition, with Larry Tanenbaum emphasizing its importance as both a sporting and cultural institution.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://financialpost.com/globe-newswire/kilmer-sports-ventures-acquires-french-professional-football-club-as-saint-etienne|title=Kilmer Sports Ventures Acquires French Professional Football Club AS Saint-Étienne|work=Financial Post |date=June 3, 2024|accessdate=September 21, 2024|publisher=Financial Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kilmergroup.com/3048-2/|title=Interviews with L'Equipe and Le Progrès - Larry Tanenbaum|date=October 24, 2024|accessdate=April 22, 2025|publisher=Kilmer Group}}</ref>
=== Beverages === In 2018, Tanenbaum, along with U.S. bottler Junior Bridgeman, became a co-owner of '''Coca-Cola Canada Bottling''', the sole bottler and distributor of products from The Coca-Cola Company in Canada, through the acquisition of the previously corporate-owned Coca-Cola Refreshments Canada.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.grocerybusiness.ca/coca-cola-canada-bottling-returns-to-canadian-ownership/|title=New Canadian owners of Coca-Cola Canada bottling plan to double sales|author=<!-- uncredited -->|work=Grocery Business|date=October 4, 2018|access-date=March 23, 2026}}</ref>
==Philanthropy== Tanenbaum's involvement in community associations includes the following: vice chair of Sinai Health System;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sinaihealthsystem.ca/about-us/our-leaders/board-directors/|title=Board of Directors – Sinai Health System|website=Sinai Health System|access-date=June 12, 2019}}</ref> co-chair of the Research Committee for the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute;<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lunenfeld.ca/about-us/research-committee-of-the-board|title=Research Committee of the Board of Directors|website=Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute|access-date=June 12, 2019}}</ref> vice-chair, Brain Canada; member, University Council, Cornell University; Honorary Board Member, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care; member of the advisory board, Montreal Neurological Institute; co-founder and board member, Tanenbaum Open Science Institute at MNI; member, Dean's advisory council, Schulich School of Business, York University; founding board member, executive committee member and member of the Global Leadership Council of Right to Play; founding member, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs; and co-chair, Tomorrow Campaign (UJA).
==Personal life== Tanenbaum is married. He has two daughters and one son.
==Honours and awards== In recognition of his contributions in the areas of philanthropy, volunteerism and sports, Tanenbaum was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada on October 25, 2007.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/146-1276|title=Mr. Lawrence M. (Larry) Tanenbaum|website=The Governor General of Canada - Honours - Order of Canada|access-date=June 12, 2019}}</ref>
In June 2012, he was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws, by St. Michael's College at the University of Toronto.
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/tanenbaum-family-donates-35-million-to-mount-sinai-hospital/article12770669/ Larry Tanenbaum, co-owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs, gives $35-million to Lunenfeld Research Institute] *[https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0019_0_19570.html His full biography] at Jewish Virtual Library *[http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/larrytanenbaum_bio.html Larry Tanenbaum] *[http://www.kilmergroup.com/ Kilmer Group] – Tanenbaum's private investment holding company
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tanenbaum, Larry}} Category:1945 births Category:Living people Category:Businesspeople from Toronto Category:Canadian sports businesspeople Category:Cornell University alumni Category:Canadian philanthropists Category:Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Category:NBA executives Category:NBA owners Category:National Hockey League executives Category:National Hockey League owners Category:Ice hockey people from Toronto Category:Toronto Maple Leafs executives Category:Toronto Raptors executives Category:Toronto Argonauts owners Category:Officers of the Order of Canada Category:Jewish Canadian sportspeople Category:Canadian soccer chairmen and investors