Frank Stronach, known for building a renowned auto parts empire out of a rented garage, faced legal consequences recently. The 93-year-old was convicted of sexual assault and indecent assault in two separate cases. However, he was acquitted of three additional charges involving two other women.
Justice Anne Molloy of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Toronto delivered the verdict. This marks a significant fall from grace for Stronach, who once received Canada’s highest civilian honors.
He founded Magna International, which grew from producing parts to assembling cars for giants like Mercedes-Benz. During his leadership, the company endeavored to acquire Chrysler and Opel, the latter being the European arm of General Motors.
Stronach’s alleged misdeeds date back to between the 1970s and 1990s. He had pleaded not guilty to twelve charges based on the accounts of seven complainants. The accusations involved women he encountered through his businesses.
Stronach’s public journey has often been marred by inappropriate remarks about women. In a 2007 shareholder meeting during his attempt to acquire Chrysler, he publicly questioned whether he or his associate Manfred Gingl was more appealing to women, highlighting his history of controversial behavior.