Mike Lazaridis says he has no plans to sell his stake BlackBerry, which he co-founded. He will step down from the board, however, and focus on a new quantum computing investment fund.
“I’m really proud of what we built together at RIM, and I believe I’m leaving it in good hands, and remain one of its largest shareholders,” said Lazaridis.
Lazaridis owns about 5.7 percent of BlackBerry, which recently changed its name from RIM. Lazaridis helped found RIM in 1984 with Doug Fregin.
Lazaridis and co-CEO Jim Balsillie stepped down in January 2012 and was asked to make Thorsten Heins the new CEO. “I was asked to reconsider my decision to give up the CEO post, but I promised the board that I would assist Thorsten and his team in the completion of the development of BB10,” he said. “I believe I’ve now fulfilled my commitment to the board.”
The Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics was founded by Lazaridis, who said he sees the quantum computing field “producing opportunities in the near-term.” He said the fund has started making investments, but gave no details.
“This is ground-breaking work,” he said. “We have the resources to put us in a position to help them fulfill the potential of these breakthroughs.”
Source: Reuters.com
