Guy Laliberté facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Guy Laliberté
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Laliberté at the $25,000 World Poker Tour No-Limit Hold'em Championship
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| Born | 2 September 1959 Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
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| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Co-founder of Cirque du Soleil |
| Political party | Rhinoceros (1980) |
| Spouse(s) | Rizia Moreira (ex de facto spouse) Claudia Barilla (ex-girlfriend) |
| Children | 5 |
| Nickname(s) | Ahtata (Full Tilt Poker) |
| World Poker Tour | |
| Title(s) | None |
| Final table(s) | 1 |
| Money finish(es) | 2 |
| Space career | |
| Space Adventures tourist | |
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Time in space
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10d 21h 17m |
| Missions | Soyuz TMA-16 / TMA-14 |
Guy Laliberté is a Canadian businessman and co-founder of the famous Cirque du Soleil. He was born on September 2, 1959. Before starting Cirque du Soleil in 1984 with Gilles Ste-Croix, he was a street performer. He played the accordion, walked on stilts, and even performed as a fire-eater.
Cirque du Soleil's shows have been enjoyed by more than 90 million people around the world. Laliberté has received many awards for his business success. In 2006, he was named the Ernst & Young Canadian Entrepreneur of the Year. The next year, he was named the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year.
Contents
Early Life and Inspiration
Guy Laliberté was born in 1959 in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. His love for show business started when his parents took him to see the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. This experience made him want to learn more about the circus world. He even read a book about the famous showman P. T. Barnum.
While still in school, Guy organized several performing arts events. After finishing school, at age 18, he traveled around Europe. He earned money by playing the accordion. During his travels, he learned how to eat fire and walk on stilts.
When he returned to Canada, he became a street performer in Quebec. He joined a group called Les Échassiers, which means "The Stilt Walkers." This group included fire-breathers, jugglers, and acrobats. They traveled across the country to perform.
Career Highlights
Founding Cirque du Soleil
Guy Laliberté co-founded Cirque du Soleil in 1984 with Gilles Ste-Croix and a few friends. They received a government grant to celebrate the 450th anniversary of Jacques Cartier's discovery of Canada. Cirque du Soleil was first planned as a one-year project. However, the government of Quebec wanted a show that could tour other provinces.
Laliberté came up with the name 'Cirque du Soleil' ("circus of the sun") while he was in Hawaii. He chose this name because he felt "the sun stands for energy and youth." He believed the circus was all about these two ideas.
Today, Cirque du Soleil performs on five continents. It employs about 4,000 people from over 40 countries. The company earns a lot of money each year from its shows. In 2015, Guy Laliberté sold most of his shares in the company. He sold his remaining shares in 2020.
Poker Playing
Guy Laliberté started playing high-stakes poker games and tournaments for fun around 2006. In April 2007, he placed fourth in a World Poker Tour event in Las Vegas. He won $696,220 from this tournament. He also appeared on TV shows like High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark.
In 2011, Laliberté announced a special poker tournament called "The Big One." It had a US$1 million entry fee. This tournament was part of the 2012 World Series of Poker. A portion of the prize money was given to Laliberté's charity, the One Drop Foundation. This foundation works to provide clean drinking water and hygiene products around the world. Forty-eight players joined the tournament. The winner, Antonio Esfandiari, took home over $18 million. The tournament raised more than $5 million for the One Drop Foundation.
Space Travel
In September 2009, Guy Laliberté became the first Canadian space tourist. He traveled to space on the Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft. His trip was meant to raise awareness about water problems facing people on Earth. During his spaceflight, there was a 120-minute online show. It featured artistic performances in 14 cities across five continents, including the International Space Station.
In 2011, Laliberté released a book called Gaia. It contained photos of Earth taken from his space flight. The money from his book sales went to the One Drop Foundation.
Nukutepipi Atoll
In 2007, Guy Laliberté bought the atoll of Nukutepipi in French Polynesia. An atoll is a ring-shaped coral reef, island, or series of islets. In 2014, Laliberté shared that he wanted to make the atoll a safe place for his family and friends. He imagined it as a shelter in case of a global disaster. He said it would be completely self-sufficient, using solar power and being environmentally friendly.
Awards and Recognition
Guy Laliberté has received many honors for his achievements:
- In 1997, he was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec (CQ).
- In 2001, he was named a Great Montrealer.
- In 2002, he received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal.
- In 2004, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada (OC).
- Also in 2004, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
- In 2006, he won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for Quebec, Canada, and internationally.
- In 2007, he was named the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year.
- Université Laval in Quebec gave him an honorary doctorate in 2008.
- On November 22, 2010, he and Cirque du Soleil received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- In 2012, Laliberté received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Personal Life
Guy Laliberté has five children. His son, Kami, is a racing driver who competed in junior racing series in Europe. His daughter, Naïma, is a competitive dressage rider. Dressage is a sport where horses and riders perform a series of movements from memory.
See also
In Spanish: Guy Laliberté para niños
