Michael Wekerle

Michael Wekerle
Born	(1963-12-17) December 17, 1963 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Occupation(s)	Merchant banker, television personality
Years active	1990s–present
Known for	Investor on Dragons' Den (Canada)

Michael Wekerle (born December 17, 1963) is a Canadian merchant banker and television figure, widely recognized for his role as an investor on the Canadian reality series Dragons' Den, where he appeared for three seasons starting with the ninth.

Business career

Originally from Toronto, Ontario, Wekerle briefly attended York University before beginning his career as a phone clerk at the Toronto Stock Exchange. He later joined First Marathon, advancing to head trader and playing a significant role in the 1994 acquisition of Maclean-Hunter by Rogers Communications.

In 1995, he transitioned to Griffiths McBurney and Partners (GMP) as vice-chairman of trading, contributing notably to the 1997 initial public offering of Research in Motion. Wekerle departed GMP in 2011 through mutual agreement, receiving a severance package tied to a non-compete clause.

The following year, he established Difference Capital, a merchant banking firm dedicated to technology startups. Through Difference Capital, Wekerle invested in various companies such as Thunderbird Films, Appinions, BrainScope, HootSuite, and Vision Critical. In 2014, he initiated a business incubator in the Waterloo Region that provides venture capital to tech startups and began acquiring high-tech commercial real estate in Waterloo, much of which had been previously owned by BlackBerry.

Dragons' Den

Wekerle joined the cast of Dragons' Den in March 2014 as one of two new dragons alongside restaurateur Vikram Vij, replacing Kevin O'Leary and Bruce Croxon for season nine. Among his initial investments on the program was Covergalls, a workwear brand tailored for women employed in industrial sectors. He exited the show following its twelfth season.

Other activities

He is involved as a partner in expanding Mark Wahlberg's Wahlburgers restaurant chain within Canada. Previously, he owned El Mocambo, a live music venue located in Toronto, which he purchased in 2014.

In 2013, Wekerle took part in the Humour Me Comedy Classic, a charitable event featuring business leaders performing stand-up comedy to support Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children. Additionally, he sponsors annual charitable music festivals called "Wekfest" and "Wektoberfest" held in Waterloo.

In other media

Wekerle appeared as a guest star on Trailer Park Boys: The Animated Series.

Personal life

Wekerle has been married twice; his first marriage ended in divorce. In 2024, he wed his long-term partner Yasmin Castellon. Following the death of his second wife, Lea-Anne, due to a heart attack in 2010, he suffered from depression that led to unpredictable conduct and influenced his exit from GMP Capital. That same year included public incidents such as a lawsuit concerning alleged disorderly behavior at a hotel in Little Rock, Arkansas.

He maintains part-time residence at Heath Putnam Farm in Caledon, Ontario, a property formerly owned by filmmaker Norman Jewison.

In September 2014, Wekerle's Porsche 918 Spyder caught fire at an Esso gas station in Caledon after the gas tank was overfilled; fortunately, no one was injured.