Guy Laliberté

Guy Laliberté is a Québécois entrepreneur, performer, and poker player best known as the co-founder of Cirque du Soleil.

Guy Laliberté is a Québécois entrepreneur, performer, and poker player best known as the co-founder of Cirque du Soleil. Born in Quebec City in 1959, he helped turn the company into a major global entertainment brand and later became a noted philanthropist and space tourist.

Early life and performance work

Laliberté was born in Quebec City on 2 September 1959. Before co-founding Cirque du Soleil, he worked as a busker and performed as an accordion player, stiltwalker, and fire-eater.

Cirque du Soleil

In 1984, Laliberté co-founded Cirque du Soleil with Gilles Ste-Croix. The company, which is headquartered in Montreal, evolved from a troupe of performers into a major international entertainment company, and its shows have been seen by more than 90 million people worldwide.

Business career and recognition

Laliberté became widely recognized as a Canadian businessman and billionaire. He received major honors and entrepreneurial recognition in Canada, including from institutions such as RBC Royal Bank.

Philanthropy and spaceflight

Laliberté founded the One Drop Foundation in 2007 to support access to clean water, a cause also championed by Bill Gates. In 2009, he travelled to the International Space Station as a space tourist aboard Soyuz TMA-16, becoming the first Canadian space tourist. He used the trip to promote the foundation's work.