List of Famous people who born in 1961

Jake Heggie is an American composer of opera, vocal, orchestral, and chamber music. He is best known for his operas and art songs as well as for his collaborations with internationally renowned performers and writers.

Mihal "Mike" Lazaridis, OC, O.Ont, FRS is a Greek-Canadian businessman, investor in quantum computing technologies, and founder of BlackBerry, which created and manufactured the BlackBerry wireless handheld device. Lazaridis served in various positions including Co-Chairman and Co-CEO of BlackBerry from 1984 to 2012 and Board Vice Chair and Chair of the Innovation Committee from 2012 to 2013. As a passionate advocate for the power of basic science to improve and transform the world, he co-founded Quantum Valley Investments in March 2013 with childhood friend and BlackBerry co-founder Douglas Fregin to provide financial and intellectual capital for the further development and commercialization of breakthroughs in quantum information science. In 1999 he founded Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, where he also serves as Board Chair. In 2002, he founded the Institute for Quantum Computing. He is also a former chancellor of the University of Waterloo, and an Officer of the Order of Canada. With an estimated net worth of US$800 million, Lazaridis was ranked by Forbes as the 17th wealthiest Canadian and 651st in the world.

Izaskun Bilbao Barandica is a politician from the Basque Country, a region in Spain. She was President of the Basque parliament.

Danuta Stenka is a Polish actress. She is one of the leading Polish film and theatre actresses.

Mohamed Benchaaboun is a Moroccan banker, politician and diplomat. He has been Morocco's ambassador to France since 17 October 2021. He was Minister of Economy, Finance and Administration Reform of Morocco from 2018 to 2021.

Kim Leine Rasmussen is a Danish-Norwegian author.