Guy Laliberté is a high-stakes poker player with an estimated net worth of around $1.2 billion. He is well known as the founder of Cirque du Soleil and for his philanthropic activities through the One Drop Foundation.
Few players have a story like Guy’s; he was even the first high-profile poker player to visit space!
Let’s take a closer look at his high-flying endeavours.
Guy Laliberté - High Stakes Online Poker
From the mid-2000s to early 2010s, Guy Laliberté became one of the biggest high-stakes cash players in poker games on Full Tilt Poker (FTP).
He played under various screen names, including Lady Marmelade, elmariachimacho, patatino and noatima.
He was known for playing nosebleed stakes ($200/$400 and higher) against the best in the world, including Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan, Viktor "Isildur1" Blom, and Patrik Antonius.
Guy reportedly lost tens of millions of dollars online, with estimates ranging from $17M to over $30M. Many top pros saw him as a "whale" due to not having the same skill level as other high-stakes grinders.
Televised High Stakes Poker – The Largest Pot
Guy Laliberté also appeared on the televised cash games Poker After Dark and High Stakes Poker.
In 2007 he became involved in the largest pot in High Stakes Poker history (at the time) with a total pot of $1,227,900. The poker hand was versus David Benyamine with Guy’s two pair all-in against Benyamine’s flush draw.
Rather than gambling for the full amount, Guy offered to reduce the size of the pot, taking what was already in the middle. This break was huge for Benyamine and shows that Guy cares more about people than winning.
Guy clearly plays only for the thrill of the competition. After all, money is not an issue for Guy due to his massive net worth.
After poker’s infamous Black Friday, Laliberté began to decrease his online volume. At the time, he lost around $4.6 million in high-stakes PLO cash games under the screen name Zypherin.
Guy admits that online poker was not profitable for him but later expresses in an interview with the Canadian paper Le Journal de Montreal that he felt cheated by the FTP cash games.
FTP had been offering its pros 100% rakeback deals and massive poker loans, some of which they never repaid.
Billionaire Guy Laliberté Claims to be Victim of Collusion by Unnamed Full Tilt Poker Players: http://t.co/6WUiPXdi0B
— Pokerfuse News (@pokerfusenews) May 9, 2014
Many would argue that it is much easier to find big bluffs and bluff catches when playing with a virtually unlimited bankroll provided by the poker room—not to mention mitigating poker variance.
Guy Laliberte – The Origins
Guy Laliberte was born September 2nd, 1959, in Quebec City, Canada. His origin story began as a travelling street performer. He learned fire-breathing, juggling, stilt walking and playing the accordion. These skill sets helped him provide for himself financially and fed his early interest in live performance.
In 1985, the Quebec government was searching for a performance act, and Guy pitched the original idea behind Cirque du Soleil (Circus of the Sun). After receiving a government grant, Cirque du Soleil grew massively over the next ten years and eventually began to offer permanent shows in Las Vegas.
In 2015, Laliberté sold 90% of Cirque du Soleil for $1.5 billion to focus on philanthropy and other personal projects.
The One Drop Foundation
Having built Cirque du Soleil into a global entertainment empire, Guy wanted to give back meaningfully. His travels around the world exposed him to the severe lack of clean water in many regions, inspiring him to act.
In 2007, Guy established the One Drop Foundation to improve water access and partner with various governments and NGOs to create lasting change.
Laliberté donated a massive $100 million of his own money to jumpstart the foundation.
The Big One for One Drop
Laliberté incorporated his love for poker into his philanthropic ventures by creating the Big One for One Drop, a $1,000,000 buy-in poker tournament to raise money for his charity. At the time, it was the largest buy-in poker tournament ever held.
The inaugural event was held in 2012 and won by Antonio Esfandiari, who took home $18.3 million, the largest single payout in WSOP history at the time. As of February 2025, there have been a total of five One Drop tournaments.
2. WSOP Big One for One Drop (2012)
— Reed Lothert (@basedforge) November 24, 2024
Antonio Esfandiari won this event with a first-place prize of $18,346,673. The buy-in was $1,000,000, making it one of the most exclusive tournaments ever. pic.twitter.com/FbM9AKN85S
In addition to these main events, the One Drop Foundation has organised other world poker tournaments with varying buy-ins, such as the "High Roller for One Drop" and the "Little One for One Drop," to further raise money for the charity.
Guy Laliberté Visits Space
In 2009, Guy Laliberté made history by becoming the first Canadian space tourist, embarking on a 12-day mission to the International Space Station. Unlike professional astronauts, he funded his journey, reportedly paying $35 million for the privilege of venturing into orbit.
True to his Cirque du Soleil roots, Laliberté brought a red clown nose with him, wearing it while floating in zero gravity and even posing for photos. Guy’s primary mission was to raise global awareness about water conservation.
Guy Laliberte – Personal Life
Guy Laliberté has five children and is known for his love of art, adventure, and philanthropy. Here are some interesting facts about Guy -
- Guy has a passion for extreme sports such as skydiving and deep-sea diving.
- Guy was named a Knight of the National Order of Quebec in 1997 for his achievements and contributions to the arts and culture in Quebec.
- Guy was awarded the Order of Canada in 2004 for his work in founding Cirque du Soleil.
- Guy has authored a book titled "Gaia," which chronicles his journey to space and his vision for preserving Earth’s natural resources.
Este é o livro mais caro já produzido: Gaia. As fotos foram tiradas da Estação Espacial por Guy Laliberté. #MundoSA pic.twitter.com/Dgj2oxXDk1
— sandra coutinho (@sandraacoutinho) March 26, 2014
- Guy is an accomplished DJ who has performed at various events and festivals worldwide.
- Guy is a passionate art collector with an extensive collection of contemporary art, which he occasionally displays in exhibitions and galleries
Guy Laliberté – Multi-Faceted Visionary
If one thing is clear, Guy Laliberté is an exceptionally talented individual who has succeeded in multiple disciplines – whether tackling poker combos or saving the planet.
His charitable endeavours through the One Drop Foundation show his love for fellow humans and his desire for sustainable environmental practices.
We also see a propensity towards thrill-seeking and risk-taking in Guy through his love for extreme sports, high-stakes gambling and space travel.
