Michael Lee-Chin

Michael Lee-Chin was born in Port Antonio, Jamaica, the eldest of nine children.⁠[1]

He moved to Canada to study civil engineering at McMaster University.⁠[1]

He earned a Bachelor of Engineering at McMaster University and returned to Jamaica to work in highway engineering.⁠[2][3]

After returning to Canada, he moved into brokerage and financial services.⁠[3]

According to his company biography, he borrowed to buy C$500,000 of Mackenzie Financial stock and later used the gains to expand his business.⁠[4]

He acquired Ontario investment firm AIC. Portland’s 2009 transaction announcement explicitly dates the acquisition to 1987 and says assets under management were then below C$1 million.⁠[5]

He acquired a 75% stake in National Commercial Bank Jamaica (NCB), embarking on a restructuring of the bank.⁠[3]

The Royal Ontario Museum announced his C$30 million gift to Renaissance ROM. Its expansion bears the name Michael Lee-Chin Crystal.⁠[1][6]

McMaster University awarded him an honorary Doctor of Laws, distinct from his earned engineering degree.⁠[2]

He supported the creation of a corporate citizenship institute at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. Named for his family, it develops research and teaching on integrating corporate responsibility into business.⁠[7]

Portland partnered with Risley Group to form Columbus International, operating telecommunications networks across the Caribbean and Latin America.⁠[4]

Wharton reported weaker fund performance and investor withdrawals at AIC. Lee-Chin continued to advocate concentrated, long-term ownership of businesses he understood.⁠[3]

Manulife acquired his Berkshire wealth-management business.⁠[5]

He received the Order of Jamaica for contributions to business and philanthropy.⁠[4]

Manulife completed its acquisition of AIC’s Canadian retail fund business, adding approximately C$3.8 billion in assets under management. Portland retained sub-advisory roles for some funds. The asset figure was not the purchase price.⁠[8][5]

He served as chancellor of Wilfrid Laurier University, a ceremonial and public-facing role. Eileen Mercier succeeded him in 2016.⁠[9][10]

Through Mandeville Holdings, he assembled businesses in investment management, securities dealing and insurance services.⁠[4]

He donated C$10 million toward the expansion and refurbishment of Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington, Ontario.⁠[11]

Cable & Wireless Communications acquired Columbus, ending Portland’s previous ownership of the business.⁠[4]

He became chair of Jamaica’s Economic Growth Council. The council submitted growth proposals to Cabinet; these were policy recommendations rather than achieved economic outcomes.⁠[12]

The NCB group acquired approximately 29.99% of Guardian Holdings in 2016 and completed a takeover offer in 2019, raising its stake to nearly 62%.⁠[1]

He was named among the 2017 appointees to the Order of Ontario for entrepreneurship and philanthropy.⁠[6]

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and Portland’s AIC Global Holdings signed an MOU to combine scientific capabilities with business expertise and funding in clean energy, health sciences and environmental projects, including radiopharmaceutical research. The agreement did not establish regulatory approval of a treatment.⁠[13]

Bond issuers associated with AIC (Barbados), Portland (Barbados) and Specialty Coffee Investment Company missed a December 31, 2025 deadline for approximately US$94 million. In January 2026, the trustee confirmed receipt, comprising roughly US$75 million in principal and US$19 million in interest. Bondholder representatives subsequently ruled out enforcement over that payment; the companies’ remaining debt had not thereby been fully repaid.⁠[14][15]

According to Jamaica Gleaner’s reporting on court filings, AIC (Barbados) discontinued its claim against Cornerstone Financial Holdings on March 20. The dispute concerned loans and pledged NCB shares; discontinuance did not establish wrongdoing by either party.⁠[16]

School of Hard Knocks released the Monaco interview compilation Asking Monaco Billionaires How They Got Rich! Its description names Lee-Chin among the guests discussing entrepreneurship, investing and wealth creation.⁠[17]

Catalogs list his book The Way of Wealth: Stories and Strategies on My Path to a Billion with HarperCollins Canada, combining personal experiences and investment principles. When checked in October 2026, the bookseller’s latest release data listed an expected October 27 publication date, rather than an already released book.⁠[18]

He serves as president and chairman of Portland Holdings and chairman of National Commercial Bank Jamaica. His investment businesses span finance, tourism, agriculture, real estate, energy and nuclear medicine.⁠[19]

His personal X account is @Michael_LeeChin and his YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry channel is @michaellee-chin. His official profile page links to a video on that channel, which links back to Portland’s disclaimer. The company operates separate media accounts.⁠[20][21][22]