Canadian mogul, Blue Jays’ owner

Ted Rogers, 75, founder of Canada’s largest cable television and mobile phone company and owner of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team since 2000, died Tuesday morning at his Toronto home, according to a statement by his company, Rogers Communications Inc. He was 75.

Rogers, long listed as one of Canada’s wealthiest people, had been hospitalized in October for an existing heart condition. The cause of death was not announced.

Bespectacled, tall and sandy-haired, Rogers was born May 27, 1933, in Toronto. He was known as a demanding boss and a stubborn leader.

In 1983, Rogers wanted to invest $500,000 in Canadian dollars in wireless technology but faced significant resistance from his board of directors, which included his own wife. They forced him to put his own money on the line.

His investment turned into Canada’s largest cellphone company. Today, Rogers Communications employs 24,000 people and is worth about $18 billion in Canadian dollars.

Rogers Communications’ other assets include Maclean’s and Chatelaine magazines and Rogers Centre, home of the Blue Jays.

Rogers also was instrumental in plans to have the National Football League’s Buffalo Bills play eight home games in Toronto over the next five years. The first of the regular season games, against Miami, is to be played Sunday at Rogers Centre.