Rumors about Guy Laliberté’s “million-dollar parties”: Daniel Lamarre responds

• Daniel Lamarre served as CEO of Cirque du Soleil until 2021 and now holds the position of executive vice president.
• He was recently interviewed on the podcast Tout peut arriver, hosted by Marie-Louise Arsenault.
• In it, he discusses his professional and personal relationship with Guy Laliberté, with whom he led Cirque du Soleil.
• Lamarre recalls the famous lavish parties (“million-dollar parties”), which he initially considered excessive but which proved effective for building business relationships.
• These events also served as a creative and networking hub, despite the numerous rumors and their controversial nature.

Daniel Lamarre is a prominent figure in Quebec's business community. Throughout his busy professional career, he is known for having served as CEO of Cirque du Soleil until December 2021.

We took advantage of the party to try all sorts of things we couldn't try otherwise

Since then, he has served as Executive Vice President of the company's Board of Directors.

Throughout his busy career, he has rubbed shoulders with many prominent and influential figures in the arts, politics, and business.

The show Tout peut arriver, broadcast on Radio-Canada's Ohdio platform, recently interviewed Daniel Lamarre. During the discussion between the host, Marie-Louise Arsenault, and him, , they worked together as executives at Cirque du Soleil.

In this episode, we learn more about the famous $1 million parties organized by Guy Laliberté—events that sparked reactions from the public and the neighborhood.

“I was against that idea. I remember when I first joined the circus, I told Guy, ‘That doesn't make any sense; we can't do that,'” Daniel notes, reflecting on his initial reaction when this type of event was proposed to him.

Lucrative parties?

Organizing these types of parties also required significant investments. Daniel initially wondered if these expenses would actually bring in more revenue for the circus, but the results later confirmed that this strategy was effective.

“He told me: ‘Listen, experience it with me from the inside, and after that, if you think it doesn't make sense, we'll stop.' And that was the famous night when George Harrison started jamming with our musicians, and at breakfast, Guy, Harrison, and I talked about that project, so Guy nudged me and said, ‘So, Daniel, do you still think we wasted money last night?' (…) “There were promoters from all over the world coming because everyone wanted to be part of that party,” recalls the businessman.

These parties, known for their luxurious nature, were ideal opportunities to build connections in the arts and business communities. They also opened new doors and allowed attendees to meet influential individuals.

Rumors surrounding these parties

Numerous rumors surrounding these extravagant parties have been circulating for several years now, constantly fueling discussions and sparking strong reactions. Over time, these events have drawn the attention of a wide audience, curious to learn more about their scale and exceptional nature. Amid speculation, firsthand accounts, and various interpretations, these stories continue to fuel the collective imagination and generate a lot of buzz.

“Why did everyone want to participate, Daniel? Tell us about it—we were never invited, and we want to know. There were all kinds of rumors… tell us,” asks Marie-Louise Arsenault.

“Artistically speaking, it was mind-blowing (…) I got to experience it from the inside. It was a creative laboratory; we took advantage of the party to try all sorts of things we couldn't try otherwise,” explains Daniel.

“Not just that—there were spirits, all kinds of things. There were a lot of rumors, Daniel,” insists the host, skillfully trying to get the businessman to spill the beans.

“Yes… And those rumors will stick around even after I'm gone today,” replies Daniel Lamarre, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere.

Have you ever heard of these eccentric parties? Have you heard rumors about them, or even attended one of these events?