Born in Tullaghan, County Leitrim, Ireland, Wilkes came to Toronto from his native Ireland at sixteen, working as a clerk before buying a jewelry firm, Rossin Brothers, which he expanded into a cross-country operation.
Hailing from Tullaghan, County Leitrim, Ireland, Wilkes relocated to Toronto at the age of sixteen and began his career as an office worker. He later purchased Rossin Brothers, a jewelry firm, which he grew into a vast, cross-country operation.