Irving Gould

Irving Gould (September 26, 1919 – December 17, 2001) was a canadian businessman, most known for first being Chairman of the Board of Directors of Commodore Business Machines (Canada) Ltd. and later Commodore International Ltd. and related companies.

Personal life

Irving Gould was born to a jewish family in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was the second son of Joseph L. Gould and Rayna Gould (née Wilson), being Albert Gould his older and Melville Earl Gould younger brothers. <ref>[1] familysearch.com, retrieved September 9, 2020</ref>

He was married to Denise Gould and had a daughter, Jaye Penny Gould. <ref>Toronto Star Newspaper, Canada, November 14, 1983, Rayna Gould Wilson obituary</ref>

Irving Gould was a collector of netsuke, gathering an important number of these small japanese sculptures. <ref>National Post Newspaper, Canada, February 19, 1988, page 17</ref>

He had a residence in Bahamas, and during his life was he always sharing living and working time between his home residence in Toronto, the United States and Bahamas, so he would pay taxes only in the islands. He has been defined as an avid diver, fisherman and boater <ref>[2] hgcristie.com, retrieved September 9, 2020</ref><ref>The Home Computer Wars: An Insider's Account of Commodore and Jack Tramiel, Michael S. Tomczyk, 1984</ref>

Business life

Irving Gould was involved in many different business ventures during his life, in several industries and sectors.

On late December of 1946 Irving Gould was appointed Sales Manager of Joseph Gould and Sons Ltd., a textile company his father ran in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His brother Albert would be appointed General Manager.<ref>The Leader-Post Regina Newspaper, Canada, December 12, 1946, Market News, page 14</ref>

On May of 1950 Irving Gould was acting as secretary of Acme Glove Works Limited<ref>Newspaper The Gazette, Canada, May 18, 1950, page 21</ref>, a textile company that was already in business on 1913.<ref>Newspaper The Gazette, Canada, May 24, 1913, page 21</ref> Acme Glove Works would buy a couple of years later all the outstanding shares of Joseph Gould and Sons Ltd<ref>Newspaper National Post, Canada, July 12, 1952, page 23</ref>.

On late December of 1952, it was announced <ref>Newspaper National Post, Canada, December 27, 1952, page 29</ref> that Irving Gould had bought 300,000 shares of Antone Petroleums a company formed earlier that year by Toronto and Cleveland businessmen.<ref>Calgary Herarld, Canada, March 17, 1952, page 25</ref>

On July, 1954, it was announced the Irving Gould had been elected member of the Board of directors of New Mylamaque Explorations Ltd.<ref>Newspaper The Gazette, Canada, July 1, 1954, page 20</ref>. Later that year, news related to the company would list him about being the company president.<ref>Newspaper The Vancouver Sun, Canada, August 18, 1954, page 14</ref>

On February, 1955, it was announced that the Klondike - Keno Mines Ltd company had a stockholders meeting and approved a company reorganization and a change of name to Jaye Explorations Ltd.<ref>Newspaper The Gazette, Canada, February 8, 1955, page 26</ref>. Following year, news related to the company would announce Irving Gould being elected president of the company.<ref>Newspaper The Vancouver Sun, Canada, February 3, 1956, page 19</ref>

On May, 1958, it was announced that the British Guiana Diamond Mining Corp., a company formed and offering shares in 1949<ref>Newspaper The Windsor Star, Canada, October 20, 1949, page 16</ref> was achieving production in his concessions in the Meamu River. Irving Gould was mentioned as one of the associated financers of the operation.<ref>Newspaper National Post, Canada, May, 1958, page 8</ref>

On Early 1959, Irving Gould resigned as president and director of Jaye Explorations Ltd., being replaced by W.C. Campbell<ref>Newspaper The Gazette, Canada, January 20, 1959, page 27</ref>.

Later that year, Irving Gould was arrested along with lawyer John Jules Bussin<ref>Newspaper The Windsor Star, Canada, June 4, 1959, page 2</ref>, charged with perjury in connection to sworn testimony given during an investigation involving his brother Albert Gould, charged with acussations of theft and fraud while he was member of the Board of directors of Cabanga Developments Ltd., a mining company operating in Cuba<ref>Newspaper Edmonton Journal, Canada, December 23, 1957, page 15</ref>. Irving Gould would be remanded to June 10 on his charges. A couple of years later, Irving Gould would admit that he was lying and got his sentence suspended, while his brother would be sentenced to six years<ref>Newspaper The Ottawa Citizen, Canada, January 21, 1960, page 8</ref>.

On August, 1963, Irving Gould was mentioned while being chairman in Superpack Corp. Ltd., a manufacturer of vending machines<ref>Newspaper The Gazette, Canada, January 29, 1963, page 14</ref>. Some years later, he would still be serving the same role in that company<ref>Newspaper The Gazette, Canada, April 26, 1966, page 11</ref>.

On late 1964, Irving Gould was mentioned as member of the Board of directors of Gill Interprovincial Lines Ltd.<ref>Newspaper National Post, Canada, December, 26, 1964, page 14</ref>. A couple of years later, he would be still involved in that company<ref>Newspaper The Province, Canada, April 2, 1966, page 26</ref>.

Later that year, Irving Gould was elected chairman of Commodore Business Machines (Canada) Ltd., being quoted as having said that his family trust had effective control of Commodore <ref>Newspaper The Gazette, Canada, December, 14, 1966</ref>. He would never leave this role in this particular company or the group of companies under the Commodore International Ltd. umbrella, until its liquidation in 1994.