Guy Laliberté is a Canadian billionaire businessman, astronaut, and poker player. Along with Gilles Ste-Croix, he is the co-founder of Cirque du Soleil. In January 2018, Laliberté was ranked by Forbes as the 11th wealthiest Canadian. In that past he has worked as a busker, accordion player, stiltwalker, and fire-eater. In 2006, Laliberté was named the Ernst & Young Canadian Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2007, he was named Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year. In September 2009, he became the first Canadian space tourist. His spaceflight was dedicated to raising awareness on water issues facing humankind, making his spaceflight the first, in his words, "poetic social mission" in space. 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.