Guy Laliberté, OC CQ (born 2 September 1959) is a Canadian billionaire businessman, and poker player.

His interest in show business began when his parents took him to watch the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus,[7] an experience which led him to read the biography of P. T.

[9] Laliberté joined a performing troupe called Les Échassiers, which included fire-breathers, jugglers, and acrobats who hitchhiked around the country to shows.

The group obtained the support of a government grant for the celebration of the 450th anniversary of Jacques Cartier's discovery of Canada.

[6] Its shows employ approximately 4,000 people from over 40 countries and generate an estimated annual revenue exceeding US$810 million.

In April 2007, he finished fourth in the World Poker Tour Season Five event at Bellagio in Las Vegas and won $696,220.

Part of the prize money was donated to Laliberté's philanthropic organization One Drop Foundation, which primary goal is to provide clean drinking water and hygiene products around the globe.

Over his six accounts, noataima, patatino, lady marmelade, elmariachimacho, Esvedra and Zypherin, Laliberté has lost approximately US$31,000,000.

The event was accompanied by a 120-minute webcast program featuring various artistic performances in 14 cities on five continents, including the International Space Station.

In May 2014, Laliberté told the Journal de Montréal that he wanted to make the atoll a shelter that could accommodate his family and friends in the event of a global catastrophe.

"Because of all that's happening in the world, I said to myself: that could be the place where, in case of an epidemic or a total war, I could bring people I like and my family so that we'd be protected.

[25] In 2006, Laliberté won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for all three levels: Quebec, Canada and international.