The Ghermezian family owns the three biggest malls in North America and they originate from Iran, where they dealt in rugs for several generations. In 1895, Elijah Ghermezian founded the family business and, at one time, they were the largest oriental rug sellers on the planet. In 1943, his son, Jacob, hosted US President Franklin Roosevelt, UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in his apartment during the critical Tehran Conference, where they discussed the final stages of World War II and planned a path to victory. In the early 1950s, Jacob moved the family to Montreal and that’s when things really took off.
© 2024 John Oliver
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