Robert L. Johnson: CAD $3.26 Billion
Robert L. Johnson: CAD $3.26 Billion
Robert L. Johnson: CAD $3.26 Billion
in
June
2016
IPO
which
was
post-graduate
studies,
Mr.
Lee-Chin
decided
to
explore
career
opportunities within the mutual fund industry. At the age of 26, Mr. Lee-Chin became
a financial advisor and, with growing success, progressed to the position of branch
manager.
In 1983, at the age of 32, Mr. Lee-Chin borrowed money to purchase $500,000
of Mackenzie Financial stock. After four years, this stock appreciated seven-fold, and
Mr. Lee-Chin used the profits to make his first acquisition, a small Ontario-based
investment firm called AIC Limited. At that time, Advantage Investment Counsel (a
division of AIC Limited) had assets under management of just $800,000. Within 20
years, assets under management for this 1987 acquisition had surpassed $4 billion.
AIC Limited was to become the first in a series of acquisitions for Mr. Lee-Chin,
Chairman, Portland Holdings Inc.
Mr. Lee-Chin has distinct beliefs regarding wealth creation, role models, and his
firm's investment strategy. AIC's goal is to create long-term wealth for investors. To
achieve that objective, Mr. Lee-Chin looked for role models those business
people who created wealth in society by owning one or two businesses. For this
reason, Mr. Lee-Chin established AIC's investment philosophy of buying few
excellent businesses in long-term growth sectors and holding these businesses for
the long term in order to help AIC investors prosper by preserving and growing their
capital and minimizing taxes.
As a result of his investment philosophy, AIC stands today as one of the largest
privately held mutual fund companies in Canada. Mr. Lee-Chin was named
Entrepreneur of the Year in 1997. In 2002, he earned the Harry Jerome Award for a
decade of achievement. Mr. Lee-Chin has been profiled in Forbes, Fortune, Canadian
Business, Black Enterprise, National Post and Time magazines.
Following the acquisition of AIC Limited in 1987, Mr. Lee-Chin set about
developing the Berkshire group of companies comprising an investment planning
arm, a securities dealership, and an insurance services operation. Under Mr. LeeChin's stewardship, Berkshire was able to amass more than $12 billion of assets
under administration by 2007. At that time, Berkshire had also grown to form a
network of 750 financial advisors operating in 250 offices across Canada. In 2007,
Manulife acquired Berkshire from Portland Holdings in exchange for shares, making
Portland one of the most significant shareholders of Manulife.
healthcare industry sector was announced by Mr. Lee-Chin in July 2006, when
Medical Associates Limited, a privately held hospital in Kingston, Jamaica, joined the
Portland group.
In November 2003, Mr. Lee-Chin received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree
from McMaster University in recognition of his business success and philanthropic
initiatives, and in July 2004 was honoured by Time magazine as one of Canada's
Heroes and one of the country's most intriguing and inspiring citizens. In 2008, Mr.
Lee-Chin received one of Jamaica's highest national honours "The Order of Jamaica,"
for his significant contributions to business and philanthropy. On Oct. 28, 2011, the