Guy Laliberté

In 1984, Guy Laliberté, a former street performer, cofounded Cirque du Soleil, which would become one of the world's biggest entertainment companies.His empire began with a show, funded by $1 million from the Canadian government, put on for the 450th anniversary of the discovery of Canada.The celebration went global, and the shows have been performed for more than 180 million spectators across more than 400 cities on six continents. In 2015 he sold much of his 90% stake to U.S. private equity firm TPG Capital and Chinese investment group Fosun, keeping 10% of the company.In 2017, he founded Lune Rouge, which develops and invests in projects in arts, technology and entertainment.