Former Blackberry co-CEO sells off entire stake in the company he helped build

A document filed by BlackBerry today reveals that Jim Balsillie, who formerly served as co-CEO along with Mike Lazaridis, has sold off his entire stake in the company. As recently as last year, Balsillie held 28.6 million shares, a number that has rapidly plummeted to zero according to a regulatory filing. Balsillie and Lazaridis oversaw BlackBerry’s meteoric rise in the mobile phone arena, but also occupied the top ranks during the company’s stunning downfall.

For his part, Lazaridis has stayed on as vice chairman of BlackBerry — known as Research In Motion in the years he spent steering the company along with Balsillie. The fact that Balsillie has chosen to cut financial ties now, just as BlackBerry launches a comeback effort led by brand new hardware and a re-imagined operating system, suggests he may not be entirely confident in the company’s future roadmap. Of course, it’s also possible that Balsillie has decided to put this storied chapter of his life behind him once and for all.