Monday By the Numbers: Guy Laliberte’s final bow as head of Cirque du Soleil

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Ryan Remiorz / The Canadian Press / AP

Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte speaks at a news conference Monday, April 20, 2015, in Montreal. Cirque du Soleil has signed a deal to sell a majority stake in the famed circus group to U.S. private equity firm TPG for a reported $1.5 billion.

Mon, Jul 13, 2015 (11:02 a.m.)

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This week, Monday By the Numbers marks the end of an era as the co-founder of the Strip’s predominant production company has formally stepped down.

Or, to use the vernacular of his company, he has unbuckled the harness.

We speak of onetime street performer-turned billionaire visionary Guy Laliberte. Last Wednesday, the mastermind behind Cirque du Soleil sent an email to the vast family of Cirque announcing that the transfer of ownership of the famed French-Canadian performance company is finished and the deal officially closed.

In April, the company announced a new owner, investment giant TPG Capital, which also holds a significant stake in Caesars Entertainment and along with investment firm Leonard Green and Partners is majority owner of the Palms.

Also investing in Cirque are Fosun, a top private investment group out of China, which has signed on as a minority equity partner, along with Caisse of Quebec. The new chairman of Cirque is Mitch Garber of Montreal, long affiliated with TPG and member of the new investment group.

In his message to the Cirque team, Laliberte gave thanks to the Cirque community and said, “The adventure continues — taking a different path, perhaps, but one that promises to be as enjoyable as ever. It is important for me to tell you that the current situation is the one that I had hoped for when I started exploring our options, and even better.

“We have a seasoned leadership team in place along with business partners who understand Cirque’s ‘spirit’ and whose expertise will allow us to take the Cirque du Soleil adventure to new heights.”

If that’s the case, Cirque better raise the ceilings at some of these Strip venues. The troupe is already flying pretty high.

More stats as they relate to Laliberte and his artistic masterpiece:

31: Years since Laliberte staged the first show under the Cirque title, a tented production at the 450th birthday celebration of the province of Quebec in 1984.

18: Laliberte’s age when he hitchhiked across Europe and earned money by playing the accordion.

24: Laliberte’s age when he launched Cirque.

55: Laliberte’s age today.

$1.5 billion: The reported sales price of Laliberte’s ownership stake in Cirque.

$1.9 billion: Laliberte’s reported net worth after the sale.

90 percent: Laliberte’s pre-sale stake in the company.

10 percent: His remaining investment stake in Cirque.

3: Acts for which Laliberte was known during his days as a performer (accordion, stilt walking and fire breathing).

12: Days Laliberte spent on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft as a private tourist and researcher in 2009.

$35 million: Fee Laliberte paid for that experience.

24: Depth of the pool, in feet, in “O” at Bellagio.

75: Height, in feet, of the main rehearsal room at Cirque’s headquarters in Montreal.

22: Years since the opening of “Mystere” at Treasure Island, Cirque’s first open-ended Strip production.

19: Productions Cirque stages around the world.

8: Cirque shows currently performing on the Strip.

138,000: Tickets that Cirque offers for sale each week in Las Vegas.

2: Amount, in cents, Laliberte promises to contribute to Cirque’s artistic development. As in, “I am still here with you putting in my 2 cents into creation.”

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at Twitter.com/KatsWiththeDish.

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