David Gilmour, an entrepreneur from Canada who owned a small island called Wakaya in Fiji, built a luxury resort there in the 1990s. He then created Fiji Natural Artesian Water, which became a leading bottled water brand. Gilmour passed away on June 11 at the age of 91 in Manhattan due to cardiac arrest.
Gilmour had prior business ventures, including importing home furnishings and building stereos. He also co-founded a gold-mining company and had experience with Fiji through a chain of hotels he helped assemble in the South Pacific.
After purchasing Wakaya, Gilmour saw it as a place of solace amidst personal tragedy. He opened a luxury resort called the Wakaya Club & Spa in 1990 to share the peaceful environment with friends and guests. Over the years, the resort became popular with celebrities.
During the 1990s, Gilmour noticed guests drinking Evian water and decided to explore the potential for Fiji’s own water source. He discovered an underground aquifer with silica-rich water on the Fijian island of Viti Levu. In 1996, his company began packaging and selling this water as Fiji Natural Artesian Water.
Gilmour emphasized the purity of Fiji’s water due to the remote location and lack of pollution. Fiji Water is now one of the top imported water brands in the United States.
David Gilmour was born on November 5, 1931, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and grew up in Toronto. He had various ventures throughout his career, including importing Scandinavian housewares and founding Clairtone Sound, a hi-fi systems company. Gilmour also co-founded Southern Pacific Properties, which owned hotels in Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji.
Gilmour passed away leaving his wife, Jillian Gilmour, as his only immediate survivor. He had sold Fiji Water in 2004 and Wakaya Island in 2016. At the time of his death, he still owned a wellness company called Wakaya Perfection, which specializes in ginger and turmeric products.
