Red-nosed circus billionaire returns to Earth

[demoleft]

Source: reuters

KOROLYOV, Russia (Reuters) – Canadian circus billionaire Guy Laliberte returned to Earth on Sunday wearing his trademark clown's red nose, landing as planned in Kazakhstan after a landmark space performance to highlight water scarcity.

A Russian Soyuz space capsule carrying Laliberte and a Russian-American crew touched down in the vast steppe near Arkalyk in northern Kazakhstan at 0831 Moscow time (0431 GMT).
...
The 50-year-old, who is worth an estimated $2.5 billion and was reported to have paid more than $35 million to become Earth's No. 7 space tourist, entertained the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) and hosted a show from the space outpost.

The show, aimed at highlighting the scarcity of clean water for people in many parts of the world, involved singers, dancers and celebrities in 14 cities around the world. Organizers called the "Moving Stars and Earth for Water" spectacle the first of its kind to be hosted from space.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091011/ts_nm/us_space_russia_landing

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not bad.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

1. this guys story is fucking incredible,

This dude was straight up homeless when he started Cirque du Soleil and now has 2.5 billion dollars,

[jus_the_facts]

2. The Clown Mafia?

....he must have performed a schtick you can't refuse. *Godfathervoice* :D

[sendero]

3. He's a decent poker player..

... as well :)

[NYC_SKP]

4. US Billionaires should be similarly engaged in environmental messaging...

Shame on them...shame on us.

Good for the Russians!

[KG]

5. Santa is real?! OMG!!!!

[meow2u3]

6. Another selfish superrich jerk wasting his money on space tourism

when all that money can go to alleviate the suffering of the poor among us. Asshole! :grr:

[Tripper11]

7. Wow killjoy...nice reaction.

Care to check the dude out before banishing him to hell!

October 29, 2007, Guy Laliberté announced, in the presence of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, Jeremy Hobbs, Executive Director of Oxfam International, and Gordon Nixon, President and Chief Executive Officer of RBC Financial Group, the official launch of the ONE DROP Foundation<17> to fight poverty in the world by giving everyone access to water. Inspired by the creative experience of Cirque du Soleil and its international program for street kids, Cirque du Monde, the ONE DROP Foundation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Lalibert%C3%A9

[SidDithers]

8. You should sell your computer and donate the proceeds to the poor...

if you spend any money at all on leisure, you're not doing enough to alleviate the suffereing of the poor among us.

Sid

[Statistical]

9. Idiot.

Do you think he just took that $35 million dollars and burned it in space? Put it an pot of gold and shot it into the sun?

The $35 million was spent on earth. His ticket of $35 million helped to employ THOUSANDS of people in the Russian space program (which is struggling for funding). People who keep a living wage and thus can take care of THEIR families (and not need public assistance) and pay taxes so they state has more funds to help those without means.