BC's richest man Jimmy Pattison is worth US $9.7 billion according to Forbes. His company has 51,000+ employees and no outside shareholders. 

The 92 year old entrepreneur hangs out at Frank Sinatra's house in Palm Springs (he bought it) and on his yacht Nova Spirit sometimes but he'd rather be working.

"If you like what you do, you'll usually be good at it," Pattison says.

I'm watching a conversation between Pattison and BCBusiness owner Peter Legge and astounded by how sharp Pattison is at 92. 

Canaccord founder Peter Brown once told me he's never heard Pattison say a bad word about anyone. Even those who have crossed him.

“I’ve been selling all my life… the customer is always king, so it's good to be friendly and positive," Pattison says.

"The people who are successful in life are up-beat, not the people who are always whining and kicking about something..."

His mother kept him in Vancouver despite more growth opportunities in the US.

"The other thing my mother always taught me, "Jimmy, be sure you pick good friends.""

Want more Jimmy? Here's my 2010 story of meeting him.