Cirque du Soleil co-founder Guy Laliberté is orbiting the Earth. He spent $35-million to become only the 7th “tourist” to leave the planet.
Some have criticized him for the extravagence during a global recession.
Personally, I agree with this assessment from the Montreal Gazette:
… Laliberté provides jobs to thousands and pleasure to hundreds of thousands, and got rich in the process. Now he is spending some of his money to have fun. More power to him.
Guy has not made a serious mistake in the past. What makes people think this is a blunder?
His space trip is part of a huge campaign to raise awareness of the need to provide clean water to everyone in the world.
The main event is happening this Friday though the specific details are not yet revealed. You can get some hints on what to expect from the OneDrop.org website.
Some of those who will be appearing live:
Actors Matthew McConaughey and Salma Hayek, singers Joss Stone, Elisapie Isaac, Helene Segara, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Michel Fugain, Natasha St Pier, Lorie and Zazie, musical group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Bolshoi Ballet principal dancer Nicolai Tsiskaridze and poet Touria Ikbal join their voices with previously announced Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, A. R. Rahman, Cirque du Soleil, Claude Challe, Dr. David Suzuki, Fnaire, Frank De Winne, Garou, Gilberto Gil, Gregory Colbert, Jean Lemire, Julie Payette, Maud Fontenoy, Patrick Bruel, Peter Gabriel, Peter Lik, Shakira, Simon Carpentier, Tatuya Ishii, Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, Tiffany Speight, U2, Vandana Shiva and Yann Arthus-Bertrand.
It’s big.
Laliberté has already pledged $100 million for the cause of clean drinking water. This is part of that ongoing campaign.
Genius is almost always artistic. Or mad.
History will remember Guy Laliberté as a genius.
4 comments ↓
[...] details – why is Guy Laliberté in space? [...]
He isn't the first space tourist and he certainly will not be the last. He can afford it, why does it have to be justified?
I have friends who work for him and they love the company and think it's great that he's gone, why not.
I have many friends at Cirque, too. I've never heard a bad word about the guy. … How many business owners can you say that about?
No probs with him spending his own money on doing something he loves, but he could be using the $35 million to provide more clean water for people, could he not? If that's such an important cause to him, that would be nobler than saying he's going into space to raise awareness about the need for clean water. Come off it.
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