Guy Laliberté

Childhood

Born on September 2, 1959, in Quebec City, Laliberté developed an early fascination with performance after his parents took him to see the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Inspired by P.T. Barnum’s biography, he organized school events and later hitchhiked across Europe at 18, funding his travels by playing the accordion and learning fire-eating and stilt-walking.

Career

Cirque du Soleil (1984–2020)

In 1984, Laliberté co-founded Cirque du Soleil with a 1.3 million government grant. The circus grew into a global phenomenon.

Poker Career (2006–Present) Laliberté entered high-stakes poker in 2006, quickly becoming a fixture in 500/1,000 cash games. Notable achievements:

• 4th place in the 2007 WPT Bellagio ($696,220 prize).
• Featured on High Stakes Poker (Season 4), playing million-dollar pots.
• Lost an estimated $31 million online under aliases like LadyMarmalade and noataima.
• Created the Space Tourism (2009)

In 2009, he became the first Canadian space tourist, spending 12 days aboard the ISS to promote water conservation. The trip cost $41.8 million.

Personal life

Relationships: Former partners include Rizia Moreira and Claudia Barilla.

Children: Five, including Kami (racecar driver) and Naïma (dressage rider).

Island Ownership: Purchased Nukutepipi Atoll (2007) as a potential apocalypse retreat.

Legal Issues: Briefly arrested in 2019 for growing cannabis on his island

Revenue

Peak net worth:

• $1.2 billion (Forbes, 2025).

Cirque du Soleil annual revenue:

• 800M– 800M–1B.

Poker losses:

• 26M– 26M–31M
  

Interesting facts

Nicknamed "Ahtata" on Full Tilt Poker.

Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame (2010).

DJ gigs at Coachella (2021).

Founded Lune Rouge (2017), investing in tech and entertainment.

Legacy

Laliberté revolutionized live entertainment and high-stakes poker, blending art, risk-taking, and philanthropy. His One Drop Foundation has provided clean water to 1.6 M+ people.