Mihal "
Mike"
Lazaridis,
OC,
O.Ont, FRS (; born March 14, 1961) is a
Greek-
Canadian businessman, investor in quantum computing technologies, and founder of
BlackBerry, which created and manufactures the
BlackBerry wireless handheld device. Lazaridis served in various positions including Co-Chairman and Co-CEO of BlackBerry from 1984 to 2012 and Board Vice Chair and Chair of the Innovation Committee from 2012 to 2013. As a passionate advocate for the power of basic science to improve and transform the world, he co-founded Quantum Valley Investments in March 2013 with childhood friend and BlackBerry co-founder Douglas Fregin to provide financial and intellectual capital for the further development and commercialization of breakthroughs in quantum information science. In 1999 he founded
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, where he also serves as Board Chair. He is also a former
chancellor of the
University of Waterloo, and an Officer of the
Order of Canada. With an estimated net worth of US$800 million (as of June 2011), Lazaridis was ranked by
Forbes as the 17th wealthiest Canadian and 651st in the world.