Stewart Lynn "Stu" Blusson, (born 1939) is a Canadian geologist,

helicopter pilot A helicopter pilot manipulates the helicopter flight controls to achieve and maintain controlled aerodynamic flight. Changes to the aircraft flight control system transmit mechanically to the rotor, producing aerodynamic effects on the rotor bla ...

, businessman and philanthropist. He co-discovered billion-dollar Ekati Diamond Mine, 300 kilometres from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. He is President of Archon Minerals Ltd. In 2002, Blusson donated key start-up funds necessary for

Quest University Canada Quest University (officially Quest University Canada) is a private, not-for-profit, secular liberal arts and sciences university. The university opened in September 2007 with an inaugural class of 73. The university has an enrolment of around ...

in Squamish, British Columbia. In 2006, Blusson donated $10 million for the

Archon X PRIZE The Archon Genomics X PRIZE presented by Express Scripts for Genomics, the second X Prize offered by the X Prize Foundation, based in Playa Vista, California, was announced on October 4, 2006 stating that the prize of "$10 million will be awarded ...

to develop a quick and inexpensive way to sequence the human genome. Blusson had a

net worth Net worth is the value of all the non-financial and financial assets owned by an individual or institution minus the value of all its outstanding liabilities. Since financial assets minus outstanding liabilities equal net financial assets, net ...

of $660 million CDN in 2006.

Early life

Blusson was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He completed an undergraduate degree at the University of British Columbia (1960) and a doctorate in geology at the University of California, Berkeley (1964).

Career

After school, he joined the federal Geological Survey of Canada, leading regional geological mapping and research programs in the central Yukon and parts of British Columbia. During that time he survived a serious helicopter crash and a

Grizzly bear The grizzly bear (''Ursus arctos horribilis''), also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a population or subspecies of the brown bear inhabiting North America. In addition to the mainland grizzly (''Ursus arctos horri ...

attack. In 1969,

Chuck Fipke Charles Edgar "Chuck" Fipke (born 1946) is a Canadian geologist and prospector who discovered the existence of diamonds around Lac de Gras in Canada's Northwest Territories. He is now a multimillionaire involved in geological explorations aroun ...

, a geologist, needed to be rescued from the side of a mountain where he had been stranded for close to a week. Blusson sent in the helicopter pilot that saved him. From this first encounter, Fipke and Blusson became friends and prospecting partners. He left the Geological Survey in 1979 to explore the modes of formation of mineral deposits from Mexico to

the Arctic The Arctic ( or ) is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenland), Finland, Iceland, N ...

. He discovered a number of important occurrences of gold, copper and other metals. Blusson married his wife, Marilyn, in 1980. In 1981, he and Fipke began searching for diamonds in the

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...

, concentrating their search on indicator minerals commonly associated with kimberlite, a host rock for diamond. They found kimberlitic indicator minerals near Lac de Gras in the Northwest Territories in 1985, and their first kimberlite at Point Lake in 1991. In 1998, Ekati opened, a joint venture between BHP Diamonds Inc. (51%), Dia Met Minerals (29%), Fipke (10%), and Blusson (10%). Blusson's net worth in 2002 was estimated to be $295 million (US). In 2004, he was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada and was presented with the Logan Medal,

Geological Association of Canada The Geological Association of Canada (GAC) is a learned society that promotes and develops the Geology, geological sciences in Canada. The organization holds conferences, meetings and exhibitions for the discussion of geological problems and the ...

's highest honour. In 2012, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Archon X Prize

In 2006, Blusson donated the largest medical prize in history, $10 million (US), for the

Archon X Prize The Archon Genomics X PRIZE presented by Express Scripts for Genomics, the second X Prize offered by the X Prize Foundation, based in Playa Vista, California, was announced on October 4, 2006 stating that the prize of "$10 million will be awarded ...

. The prize is named after the ancient Archean Craton core plate beneath Canada where diamonds were discovered. The prize will go to the person or group that can develop a quick (100 people in 10 days) and inexpensive way to sequence a human genome.

Philanthropy

* 1998- $50-million (Cdn) to the University of British Columbia for genetic research performed by Michael Smith, Nobel laureate * 2002- $32-million to

Squamish, British Columbia Squamish (; Squamish language, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim: Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, ; 2016 census population 19,512) is a community and a district municipality in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, located at th ...

* 2006- $5-million (Cdn) to Vancouver Aquarium for an educational program * 2006- $10-million (Cdn) to the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre which houses ICORD, Vancouver Coastal Health and the Rick Hansen Institute, and is backed by activist Rick Hansen * 2006- $10-million (US) to Archon X PRIZE * 2007- $12-million (Cdn) to the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University * 2016- $11-million (Cdn) to the Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute at the University of British Columbia

References

;Sources
X marks the spotlight for elusive benefactorOfficer of the Order of CanadaEkati Pioneer is Title Sponsor for Largest Medical Prize in HistoryThis Wall Street Journal- ''Celebrity Genome Project?''

External links

Recipients of the Logan Medal Stuart Blusson from the GSC to Ekati
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blusson, Stewart 1939 births Living people Businesspeople from Vancouver Canadian geologists Canadian mining businesspeople Canadian philanthropists Canadian prospectors Geological Survey of Canada personnel Officers of the Order of Canada University of British Columbia Faculty of Science alumni UC Berkeley College of Letters and Science alumni Logan Medal recipients