Guy Laliberté is a Canadian entrepreneur, philanthropist, professonal poker player, space tourist, co-founder and the current CEO of Cirque du Soleil. Starting out busking as an accordion player, stiltwalker and fire-eater, in 1984 Laliberté founded Cirque du Soleil, a Canadian circus company whose shows have since been seen by more than 90 million people worldwide.
Education
He decided to pursue a career in performing arts when he was 16, as he was very good at producing events while still in school.
After dropping out of college, he supplemented his skills as an accordionist by studying with street artists and buskers in Quebec and in Europe, picking up such talents as fire-eating, juggling and stilt-walking.
Career
After school, Guy Laliberté entered the world of street performance, playing the harmonica and accordion on the streets of Quebec. Laliberté joined a performing troupe that included fire-breathers, jugglers, and acrobats who hitched around the country from show to show. Guy Laliberté co-founded Quebec's first internationally renowned circus with Gilles Ste-Croix and a small group of colleagues. He recognized and cultivated the talents of the buskers from the Fête foraine de Baie-Saint-Paul and created Cirque du Soleil in 1984 with the support of a government grant for Canada's 450th anniversary celebrations. In founding the company, Guy Laliberté was assisted by Gilles Ste-Croix.Since 1984, Laliberté has participated in the creation of every Cirque du Soleil show.The organization now has activities on five continents. Its shows employ approximately 4,000 people from over 40 countries and generate an estimated annual revenue exceeding US$810 million.