Guy Laliberté

Guy Laliberté, Founder of Cirque du Soleil.

Guy Laliberté was born in Quebec City, Canada in 1959. By the time he was sixteen, he had produced several high school events and had settled on pursuing a career in the performing arts. Soon after graduation, he joined a folk music group called "La Grande Gueule" (Big Mouth), playing harmonica and accordion, experience that initiated him to the art of street performance. Laliberté dropped out of college to tour Europe as a busker and folk musician. By the time he returned to Canada in 1979, he had learned the art of fire breathing.Upon his return, Laliberté joined the stilt-walking troupe "Les Echassiers de Baie-Saint-Paul" (The Wading Birds of Baie-Saint-Paul). They soon organized a festival called "La Fête Foraine," which first took place in July 1982 touring Quebec.

Laliberté produced and managed the fair over the next couple of years, developing it into a moderate financial success. But in 1983, the Government of Quebec granted him $1.5 million to host a production as part of Quebec's 450th anniversary celebration of the French explorer Jacques Cartier's discovery of Canada. Laliberté named his new show "Le Grand Tour du Cirque du Soleil."

Though the first tour only netted a $40,000 profit, the performance was hailed as artistic success. It allowed Laliberté to sign nearly $1.5 million in contracts and perform his “circus” exclusively within Canadian borders. That is, until 1987, when Laliberté took a risk and performed at the Los Angeles Arts Festival. Had it not been a success, he would not have had the money to move the troupe back home to Quebec.

Guy Laliberté's vision was to create a circus without a ring or animals. His approach proved to a complete success. "We didn't reinvent the circus, we repackaged it in a much more modern way," he once told Laliberté committed himself to remaining free of outside influence. He ensured a controlling interest in is company (he owns at 95 percent), which has given him the freedom to take whatever decisions or risks he feels necessary. It has allowed Cirque du Soleil to produce such shows as "KÀ" or "Ô", which with a $165 million price tag each, would probably never have been produced.

Over the years, Laliberté and Cirque du Soleil have created 20 shows, 15 of which are currently running. There are six resident shows in Las Vegas alone. After more than 20 years, Laliberté continues to look for new ideas, including moving into other mediums such as nightclubs, restaurants and spas.