Guy Laliberté, OC, OQ, is a Canadian entrepreneur, the self-made billionaire founder of Cirque du Soleil, the revolutionary entertainment company. Born in Quebec City, in 1959, his career began with a simple, personal passion: entertainment. He dropped out of college to pursue a career as a street artist and busker.

Laliberté's skills were largely self-taught, including fire-eating, juggling, and stilt-walking, learning from artists in Quebec and Europe. His philosophical approach was to reinvent the circus for modern audiences, doing away with animals and combining the excitement of busking with theatrical artistry. The genesis of Cirque du Soleil came in 1984 while performing with a troupe in Baie-Saint-Paul.

Guy Laliberté's strategic genius was convincing the Quebec government to fund a series of shows in 1984 to celebrate a major Canadian anniversary, officially founding Cirque du Soleil. His model, the circus without animals, achieved massive global acclaim and commercial success, expanding into 10 permanent resident shows (mostly in Las Vegas) and numerous international tours.

His wealth was secured by the immense, long-term profitability of the Cirque's intellectual property and its global scale. Laliberté later became a pioneer in space tourism: in 2009, he became the first Canadian space tourist (traveling to the International Space Station - ISS), using the trip to raise awareness for water issues (through his foundation, One Drop). He has received numerous honors, including being named an Officer of the Order of Canada and the Ordre national du Québec. He sold his majority stake in the Cirque in 2015, securing his final financial exit.

Guy Laliberté is a dedicated global philanthropist. His structural social impact is tied to Cirque du Soleil's role in creating a massive, high-value artistic and entertainment industry and providing thousands of jobs to artists and performers globally. His founding of the One Drop Foundation has a massive structural focus on water access and sustainability in developing nations.

His personal philanthropy supports various arts and humanitarian causes, reflecting his commitment to leveraging art and entertainment for global social change.

Guy Laliberté maintains the colorful, artistic style of an entertainment visionary. His attire is often casual and expressive, reflecting his background as a street artist and his passion for creativity and personal freedom. His aesthetic is one of confident, eccentric affluence.

Residing in Montreal, Quebec, his luxury is the immense security and financial reward derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to artistic creation, global philanthropy, and the relentless pursuit of new experiences, including space tourism.