Owner of West Edmonton Mall: The Ghermezian Family

West Edmonton Mall (WEM) — North America's largest mall (5.3M sq ft) — is owned by the Ghermezian family through their company Triple Five Group.

Family History

• Patriarch: Eskandar (Alex) Ghermezian (1928–2000) — Iranian Jewish immigrant; arrived Edmonton 1950s.
• Start: Persian rugs → real estate → shopping centres.
• WEM: Opened 1981 (Phase I); expanded 1983, 1985, 1999.
• Current Leadership: Sons Nader, Rafe, and Don Ghermezian co-lead Triple Five Group.

Triple Five Group Portfolio

• Mall of America (Bloomington, MN) — largest in US.
• American Dream (East Rutherford, NJ) — 2nd largest US.
• West Edmonton Mall (Edmonton, AB) — largest in NA.
• Other holdings: Resorts, hotels, commercial real estate globally.

Management

Day-to-day operations overseen by professional management team; family sets strategy.

The Ghermezians are synonymous with mega-mall development worldwide.