Robert Miller (Canadian businessman)

For other people named Robert or Bob Miller, see Robert Miller.
Robert Miller
Born
Robert Gerald Miller

July 1943 (age 82)[1]
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Alma materRider University,
Montreal Technical Institute[2]
OccupationsOwner and founder of Future Electronics
Children2

Robert Gerald Miller is a Canadian billionaire businessman who founded Future Electronics in 1968, and built it into the world's third-largest electronics distributor[3][4] controlling "most of the world's semiconductor and capacitor markets".[2]

In February 2023, he stepped down as the company's president and chief executive officer following allegations by at least 40 women of setting up a system involving child sex trafficking girls as young as 11 years old, from 1977-2016.[5][3]

Miller is also a supporter of the Alcor Life Extension Foundation and cryonics research,[6] and he intends to be cryopreserved himself and has set aside a part of his fortune in his trust for his resurrected self to claim in the far future.[7][8]

Personal life

Miller claims to have come from "sparse beginnings" with his father David Miller having owned an antique store, sold cars, retail groceries and other careers.[2] His father David had pled guilty in 1946 to keeping books for illegal gambling alongside boxing promoter Gaston Pelletier,[9][10] and was arrested alongside and repeatedly named as an associate of mobster Harry Ship who was under the Cotroni crime family.[11][12][13][14] In 1973, his father David Miller was named as a "mafia boss" in Montreal, alongside William Obront, Frank D'Asti, Nicholas Diorio, Vincent Soccio and David Laff.[14] On February 7 1973, David Miller was among 60 mobsters subpaeoned within a matter of hours, along with his elder son Alfred Norman Miller.[14]

Miller worked at a snackbar and as a DJ to pay for college.[15] As of 2010, he continued to serve as Master of Ceremonies in annual rock concerts for his employees, with headliners including Bryan Adams and Peter Cetera.[16][17] When his corporate hockey team was struggling, he convinced NHL veterans Stephane Matteau and Donald Audette to come play for a tournament.[7]

Miller is a graduate of Rider University.[6][18][19] In 1967, Robert Miller was arrested alongside his father running an illegal gambling outfit in Calgary, Alberta just days before Robert's wedding; they paid $10,000 in bail and flew to Montreal for the wedding.[20]

On Dec 3 1967, Miller married Margaret Josephine Antonier a advertising executive at the Montreal radio stations CJAD and CJFM and real estate developer.[21][4] In March 1969, Miller's hunting lease at Mansfield-et-Pontefract lapsed.[22] Miller and Antonier had two sons, Frederick and Rodney.[2] and lived in Montreal, Québec.[6]

Settling into Montreal's Jewish community,[23] 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.[24][21][25] The house was designed by architect Richard Weinstein, and featured an indoor/outdoor pool, a climate-controlled furs storage unit, auxiliary generator and wine cellar.[26]

In 1984, Miller erected a $100,000 16' satellite dish in his new garden, leading his neighbours George and Ginger Petty to file for an injunction alleging it was "more fitting for a military base than residential Westmount", and it was held to not be legal. Miller relented and installed a 10' satellite dish in 1986, which a neighbour testified looked "like a strategic military air command base on full-alert" In 1989, he then erected a 32' "accessory building" on his property housing the larger 16' satellite dish and returned to Court as the Pettys filed again. Miller's legal team included Gordon Kugler of Kandestin Kugler, Bill Brock and Guy Laverge from Phillips and Vineberg and Stephen Segal lawyer from Future Electronics.[27][28] Miller does not allow his photo to be taken, and has asked for no voice recordings, citing security and a desire for privacy.[16][29] His house is blurred on Google Maps, and his two private jets have their flightpaths removed from public view.[30]

In 1995, Miller purchased the abandoned 12-storey Roche facility, once hoped to bring pharmaceutical industry to Vaudreuil-Dorion.[31] Several floors were used by Future Electronics until 2008.[31]

In 2004, Miller was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, and subsequently received cryoablation, after consulting with Mario Lemieux about how to obtain it.[2] Miller and Antonier separated in 2005 and divorced in 2006, with both accusing the other of infidelity - Antonier with a rival corporate leader and Miller with underage girls.[4]

In 2007, he claimed more than half the profits of Future Technologies were given away as charity.[2] He cares about "pollution, environmental degradation and the exploitation of finite resources".[2] He has paid for three housing projects for the homeless in the Philippines,and contributed to disaster relief in Haiti, China and Japan.[32]

He notes a very close relationship, transcending businesss, with the Polish-Jew Felix Zandman who also ran an electionics company.[33]

He is noted to have been generous with employees and their children, and to have "helped in the development" of professional tennis player Greg Rusedski and NHL forward Martin Lapointe in addition to mentoring "prominent politicians, academics and business people around the world",[2] and "cultivating friendships with politicians".[34]

Cryogenics

In 2001, Miller's donations to the Alcor cryogenics firm in exchange for a promise to freeze his body for potential future resurrection, triggered a regulatory crisis as Arizona did not permit Alcor to obtain more than a certain percentage of its total funding from a single individual donor as Miller had done.[35]

In 2022, he registered the "Future Cryonics Foundation" in the United States to fund Alcor and when the child prostitution allegations resurfaced early in 2023 he increased funding from 4.5 million to approximately 35 million dollars.[35]

Future Electronics

Miller intended to work in radio after graduation, but was hired by Specialty Electronics wholesaler Ben Manis upon his 1967 return to Montreal and within 18 months had struck out with the owner's son Eli Manis to form Future Electronics.[32][2] He bought out Manis' share in the company for $500,000 in 1976, and considers both Manis men to have been "unsophisticated" and unhelpful to his success.[2][16] Miller attended a 3-year program at Montreal Technical Institute on electronics.[2]

Some former employees have described a "cultish" atmosphere at Future Electronics, where Miller's "very aggressive and authoritarian" role at work and in their private family lives is obsequious and cards of his greatest quotes are given to new hires, and his business philosophy is a regulated mantra, although conceding there is rapid career advancement for those who buy into the program.[16] A Quebec business journal had labeled Future Electonics the province's "most secretive company".[36][3] He advises all his employees to sleep eight hours, avoid sugar, red meat, fried foods, starches and alcohol, exercise daily and vacation regularly.[33]

The company was raided by the U.S. FBI and the RCMP in 1999.[4] A total of 45 officers from both countries spent 24 hours inside the headquarters seizing "computers, computer tapes, discs, and 85 boxes of documents"[37] later named only as 75 boxes of documents[38] of evidence. Miller told employees that the raid was "an unfounded assault upon our integrity".[4] The company both challenged the raid and the surrender of documents to authorities.[4][21]

While Future Electronics released statements that the investigation was based on allegations of price-fixing that defrauded US companies, the FBI declined to clarify the nature of their investigation and stated "We wouldn't confirm that this is the direction the investigation is headed. Future, of course, is welcome to say what they want, but what people tell us is confidential."[39] Future Electronics took the matter to court, to prevent any further details on the nature of the investigation from being released and to block the release of documents outlining the cause of the May 7 raid.[39] The FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office announced in 2002 that they would not pursue charges.[4]

During Miller's illness, his personal friend Gerry Duggan took over as president of the company before returning it to him on Oct 1 2005.[2]

Following high-profile accusations of child sex trafficking, Miller stepped down as CEO and sold the company to Taiwan's WT Microelectronics for $5 billion.[40]

Allegations of sexual assault and arrest

In 2006, his wife Margaret Antonier filed for divorce claiming she had been shocked to discover horrendous evidence of child sexual abuse. Miller counter-filed claiming she'd had an affair with a colleague after they separated and successfully won a motion to seal the contents of his wife's allegations against him due to their "offensive" nature.[16]

Antonier hired a private investigator to investigate Miller's alleged child rapes.[30] He staked out the second Westmount house Miller had purchased, and recorded many young girls coming and going - before two of Miller's security team, which operated under the name "National Criminal Investigation Service"(NCIS) from Future Electronics headquarters, approached him and allegedly offered him $300,000 to turn over all his evidence and end the investigation.[30]

In 2009, the Montreal police began an investigation into Miller's alleged involvement in child sex trafficking, and interviewed at least 10 alleged victims as well as carrying out another search warrant on the Future Electronics headquarters, alternatively described as targeting the "NCIS" within - although the warrant remains sealed.[30][41] The Intercontinental Hotel confirmed that Miller kept a year-round lease on a room through the late 1990s in which he never overnighted, but would bring "very young ladies" for a few hours -and Miller paid to install a custom large bathing area their former head of security, interviewed by police, dubbed "the fuck tub".[30] The investigation was closed down in 2010.[41]

Miller has maintained his innocence, pointing out the age of consent was 14 and allegations of criminally paying for sex were concocted by his ex-wife.[30] He also maintains that he has been sexually impotent for decades due to Parkinsons.[30]

In February 2023 CBC investigative programs Enquête and The Fifth Estate ran programs noting Miller had been investigated several times for having repeatedly paid minors for sex.[42][43] Miller stepped down from Future Electronics within hours of the program,[5] while denying the allegations.[44]

Miller was arrested on May 30, 2024 and faced 21 charges, later increased to 24 charges,[45] including sexual assault, obtaining sexual services for consideration and several counts of sexual exploitation of minors.[46] Miller was alleged to have used the alias "Bob Adams", claiming to be the president of "Audiophile Productions" in Chicago, while his assistant Raymond Poulet was alleged to have called himself Sebastien Tremblay, president of a fictional "California Productions Inc".[47] He pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations.[45]

On June 10, 2025, Miller was found to be unfit to stand trial in the Criminal Court due to late-stage Parkinson's disease causing cognitive decline.[45]

As of late 2025, the 2023 civil class action lawsuit against Miller by alleged victims was continuing, and named three employees, Helmut Lippmann, Sam Joseph Abrams and Raymond Poulet,[48][49][50] as engaging or facilitating the child sex acts, termed as grooming them with cash and gifts before arranging sex acts with an adult.[51] Lippman had also been a target in the 1999 FBI and RCMP raid.[37]

There are three additional lawsuits, outside the class-action, maintaining sexual molestation occurred at Miller's home, another Westmount residential property, and Montreal hotels including the Queen Elizabeth Hotel - and was facilitated by a female assistant of Miller who recruited young girls.[52][53][40] In June 2024, Teresita Fuentes was arrested and charged in the investigation; she resides at the same address as Poulet who was arrested and charged in July 2025.[54] In August 2025, charges were dropped against Fuentes.[55]

References

  1. ^ "Future Electronics Limited – Officers". Beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Francis, Diane, "Who owns Canada now? : old money, new money and the future of Canadian business" https://archive.org/details/whoownscanadanow0000fran
  3. ^ a b c Rowe, Daniel J (2023-08-12). "28 more women accuse Montreal billionaire Robert Miller of sexually exploiting them as minors". ctvnews.ca.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g McIntosh, Andrew (2010-07-30). "Billionaire in messy, secretive divorce". North Bay Nugget. QMI Agency. p. 10. Retrieved 2023-11-11 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b "'It ruined my entire life': Woman says billionaire Robert Miller abused her in 1977, when she was 12 | CBC News". Archived from the original on 2023-11-11. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  6. ^ a b c "Forbes profile: Robert G. Miller". Forbes. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  7. ^ a b "The Hermit Kings". March 30, 2006 – via www.theglobeandmail.com.
  8. ^ Itskov, Dmitry (April 4, 2013). "5 billionaires who want to live forever: Robert Miller". Forbes. Retrieved December 27, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  9. ^ https://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/details/52327/2999419?docsearchtext=Wilford,%20W.%20C.
  10. ^ "Ship Cleared in "Book" Case". May 28, 1948. p. 3 – via newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Langton, Jerry (2015). Cold War How Organized Crime Works in Canada and Why It's About to Get More Violent. Toronto: HarperColllins. ISBN 978-1-4434-3255-9.
  12. ^ "Ship Appears on New Count_Four Arraigned on Betting House Charge". February 14, 1947. p. 3 – via newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Le devoir, 18 juillet 1947, vendredi 18 juillet 1947 | BAnQ numérique". numerique.banq.qc.ca. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  14. ^ a b c https://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/details/52327/2639355. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help), Le soleil, 7 février 1973
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ a b c d e "Secretive Future Electronics billionaire lifts the veil (a little)".
  17. ^ "In Pictures: Canada's Billionaires". Forbes.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ "Robert Miller, The World's Richest People". Forbes.com. 2006-02-13. Archived from the original on May 3, 2006. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
  20. ^ Saskatoon Phoenix, Dec 1 1967, https://www.oldnews.com/en/record?record_id=record-12023-145101659&source=mh_record_page
  21. ^ a b c "Montreal's reclusive billionaire". National Post. Toronto, Ontario. Financial Post. 1999-05-15. p. 68. Retrieved 2023-11-11 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "Radware Bot Manager Captcha". numerique.banq.qc.ca. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  23. ^ https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/422334406/
  24. ^ https://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/details/52327/4833016,The Westmount examiner, 17 mai 1984, with photo of house
  25. ^ 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.
  26. ^ "Radware Bot Manager Captcha". numerique.banq.qc.ca. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  27. ^ "Radware Bot Manager Captcha". numerique.banq.qc.ca. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  28. ^ "Montreal's reclusive billionaire". May 15, 1999. p. 68 – via newspapers.com.
  29. ^ https://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/details/52327/4290435
  30. ^ a b c d e f g "hotel". Archived from the original on 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  31. ^ a b "Vaudreuil-Dorion: McGill développe un «incubateur d'idées» pour le pot | La Presse". Archived from the original on 2021-04-10. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  32. ^ a b Dolan, Kerry A. "Press-Shy Canadian Electronics Billionaire Robert Miller Breaks His Silence". Forbes.
  33. ^ a b "Getting to Know Future Electronics' Robert Miller, Part One - EE Times". Archived from the original on 2025-08-22. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  34. ^ "Getting to Know Future Electronics' Robert Miller, Part Two - EE Times". Archived from the original on 2025-08-21. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  35. ^ a b "Une fortune pour un billet incertain vers l'éternité | La Presse". Archived from the original on 2025-05-03. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  36. ^ "Future Electronics claims no knowledge of RCMP, FBI probe - Business - CBC News". Archived from the original on 2013-09-29. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  37. ^ a b https://www.edn.com/future-in-doubt-firm-faces-rebate-fraud-allegations/
  38. ^ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/future-electronics-wins-case-over-search-warrant-1.227562
  39. ^ a b "Update: Future exec. Reveals subject of FBI probe". 9 July 1999.
  40. ^ a b "Quebec billionaire accused of paying minors for sex to sell Future Electronics for $5B | CBC News". Archived from the original on 2023-09-14. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  41. ^ a b "Robert Miller, billionaire accused of sex crimes, unfit to stand trial, judge rules | CBC News". Archived from the original on 2025-06-10. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  42. ^ Noël, Brigitte; Turbide, Pasquale; Tremblay, Daniel; Taschereau, Jacques (2023-02-02). "The Girls Around Robert Miller". CBC News. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  43. ^ Rowe, Daniel J. (2023-08-12). "28 more women accuse Montreal billionaire Robert Miller of sexually exploiting them as minors". CTV Television Network. Retrieved 2023-12-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  44. ^ Cherry, Paul (2023-02-03). "Robert Miller steps down as head of Future Electronics amid allegations". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 2023-02-05.
  45. ^ a b c "Robert Miller, billionaire accused of sex crimes, unfit to stand trial, judge rules". CBC News. 10 June 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
  46. ^ Lofaro, Joe (30 May 2024). "Montreal tech billionaire charged with several sex offences". CTV News Montreal. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  47. ^ Rowe, Daniel J. (August 12, 2023). "28 more women accuse Montreal billionaire Robert Miller of sexually exploiting them as minors". CTVNews.
  48. ^ "Judge authorizes class action suit against Robert Miller | Montreal Gazette".
  49. ^ "U.S. government outlines case against Future Electronics - EE Times". Archived from the original on 2023-02-03. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  50. ^ https://www.registredesactionscollectives.quebec/en/Fichier/Document?NomFichier=14606.pdf
  51. ^ Group, Consumer Law. "The girls around Robert G. Miller - Class Action | Consumer Law Group Class Actions Canada". Consumer Law Group / Groupe des droit des consommateurs. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  52. ^ "More women come forward in case of Montreal billionaire Robert G. Miller | CBC News". Archived from the original on 2023-02-11. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  53. ^ "Future Electronics purchased by Taiwan-based firm for US$3.8 billion".
  54. ^ Lofaro, Joe (July 11, 2025). "Former associate of Montreal billionaire Robert Miller arrested on sexual assault, prostitution charges". CTVNews.
  55. ^ "Charges dropped against woman tied to Robert Miller investigation | CBC News". Archived from the original on 2025-08-07. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
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