In 1955, Jarislowsky founded Jarislowsky Fraser & Co. in Montreal with just $100 of his own money and $50 contributed by a partner. The firm grew from a tiny office into a national powerhouse.

By the time he stepped down in 2012, the company was managing roughly $40 billion in assets. Six years later, Scotiabank bought the firm for $950 million, cementing its place in Canadian finance.

Forbes estimated his net worth at about $3.9 billion US. He used that wealth to donate millions, creating dozens of research chairs at universities across Canada, covering fields from medicine to the arts.

Through the Jarislowsky Foundation, launched in 1991, he funded almost 48 chairs in democracy, governance, health, environment and Canadian art, contributing roughly $10 million each year. In 2022 he pledged $10 million for five new chairs aimed at training future political leaders.

Jarislowsky received honorary degrees from 20 universities and was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada. The citation highlighted his generosity and his outspoken advocacy for strong corporate‑governance practices.

In 2002 he co‑founded the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance, a group that works to empower shareholders and improve accountability in Canadian corporations. He also helped create the Institute for Governance of Private and Public Organizations of Quebec.

His story shows how a successful investor can turn personal wealth into lasting public benefit—supporting research, shaping future leaders, and demanding better corporate conduct.