Apart from being an entrepreneur, Guy Laliberté is now also a poker player, philanthropist, and space tourist, a far cry from his fire-breathing ways some 25 years ago. With US$2.6 billion in estimated net worth as of March 2012, Laliberté is considered by Forbes to be the 11th wealthiest Canadian in the world. He was also recognized as Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young in 2006.
Guy Laliberté’s poker career was also quite impressive, having finished fourth place in fifth season of the World Poker Tour in 2007 to win $696,220. He also went on to play for Poker After Dark (Season 4) and High Stakes Poker (Season 4) from GSN. In 2011, he announced the Big One, a million-dollar buy-in tournament featured in the World Series of Poker 2012. Part of the prize money for the Big One was donated to One Drop Foundation, an initiative that aims to fight poverty by promoting access to safe water for all.
Guy Laliberté is also the first space tourist from Canada, hitting the orbit in September 2009 after training in Russia for six months. His flight into space is dedicated towards raising awareness for water issues that the world is facing. A two-hour webcast program accompanied his ascent into space, featuring artistic performances in 14 cities across five continents, as well as the International Space Station. Laliberté published a book in June 2011 entitled Gaia featuring photos of the Earth from his trip into space in 2009. Proceeds from the sale of his book were also donated to the One Drop Foundation.