Robert Miller (Canadian businessman)

Last updated
Robert Miller
Born
Robert Gerald Miller

July 1943 (age 81)
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Alma mater Rider University
Occupation(s)Owner and founder of Future Electronics
Children2

Robert Gerald Miller (born July 1943) is a Canadian billionaire businessman who founded Future Electronics in 1968, and built it into the world's third-largest electronics distributor. He stepped down as the company's president and chief executive officer following allegations by at least 28 women of setting up a system involving paying young girls for sex. [1]

Contents

Miller is also a supporter of the Alcor Life Extension Foundation and cryonics research, [2] and he intends to be cryopreserved himself. [3]

Early life and career

Miller was born in July 1943. [4] Miller is a graduate of Rider University. [2] [5] [6] He worked at a snackbar and as a DJ to pay for college. [7] He founded Future Electronics in 1968, and built it into the world's third-largest electronics distributor. [1] [8]

As part of a fraud probe into the company, the company was raided by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1999. [8] Miller told employees that the raid was "an unfounded assault upon our integrity". [8] The company both challenged the raid and the surrender of documents to authorities. [8] [9] The FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office announced in 2002 that they would not pursue charges. [8]

He stepped down as the company's president and chief executive officer following allegations by at least 28 women of setting up a system involving paying young girls for sex. [1]

Allegations of sexual assault and arrest

In 2023, CBC/Radio Canada published a story alleging that Miller had been investigated several times for having paid for sexual contacts with minors for years. Miller's lawyers have denied all allegations. [10] [11]

Following the broadcast on February 2, 2023 on the Radio-Canada investigative programs Enquête and The Fifth Estate on CBC Television, Miller stepped down as chairman, president and CEO of Future Electronics. [12]

Robert Miller was arrested on May 30, 2024 and faces 21 charges, including sexual assault, obtaining sexual services for consideration and several counts of sexual exploitation of minors. [13]

Personal life

Miller is divorced, with two children, and lives in Montreal, Canada. [2] Miller's ex-wife is Margaret Antonier, a former advertising executive at the Montreal radio stations CJAD and CJFM and a real estate developer. [9] [8] According to the North Bay Nugget , they separated in 2005 and divorced in 2006. [8]

Miller acquired his Westmount home from Seagram co-chair Charles Bronfman in 1984 for $2.65 million in what was at the time the second most expensive sale of a residence in Canada. [9] [14]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Rowe, Daniel J (2023-08-12). "28 more women accuse Montreal billionaire Robert Miller of sexually exploiting them as minors". ctvnews.ca.
  2. 1 2 3 "Forbes profile: Robert G. Miller". Forbes. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  3. ↑ "5 billionaires who want to live forever: Robert Miller". 2013-04-04. Archived from the original on 2013-05-23.
  4. ↑ "FUTURE ELECTRONICS LIMITED - Officers (free information from Companies House)". Beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
  5. ↑ Castaldo, Joe (2010-09-08). "Miller's crossroad - Canadian Business - Your Source For Business News". Canadian Business. Archived from the original on 2015-07-16. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
  6. ↑ "Robert Miller, The World's Richest People". Forbes.com. 2006-02-13. Archived from the original on May 3, 2006. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
  7. ↑ Ojo, Bolaji (16 April 2014). "Getting to Know Future Electronics' Robert Miller, Part Two". Electronics Purchasing Strategies. BBG Enterprises Inc. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 McIntosh, Andrew (2010-07-30). "Billionaire in messy, secretive divorce". North Bay Nugget . QMI Agency. p. 10. Retrieved 2023-11-11– via Newspapers.com.
  9. 1 2 3 "Montreal's reclusive billionaire". National Post . Toronto, Ontario. Financial Post. 1999-05-15. p. 68. Retrieved 2023-11-11– via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ Noël, Brigitte; Turbide, Pasquale; Tremblay, Daniel; Taschereau, Jacques (2023-02-02). "The Girls Around Robert Miller". CBC News . Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  11. ↑ Rowe, Daniel J. (2023-08-12). "28 more women accuse Montreal billionaire Robert Miller of sexually exploiting them as minors". CTV Television Network . Archived from the original on 2023-11-12. Retrieved 2023-12-02.
  12. ↑ Cherry, Paul (2023-02-03). "Robert Miller steps down as head of Future Electronics amid allegations". Montreal Gazette . Retrieved 2023-02-05.
  13. ↑ Lofaro, Joe (30 May 2024). "Montreal tech billionaire charged with several sex offences". CTV News Montreal . Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  14. ↑ Johnston, David (1985-02-02). "Candidates are the issue as upper Westmount votes". The Gazette . Montreal, Quebec. p. 14. Retrieved 2023-11-11– via Newspapers.com.
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