Circus maximus

16 June 2008 By Richard Beales Follow @richardbeales1

Middle Eastern investors are known for making the odd overpriced, trophy purchase. But a $2bn price tag for Cirque du Soleil, a circus? Amazingly, if you think of the 4,000strong troupe as a Disney founded on acrobats rather than cartoons, it starts to make sense.

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Cirque du Soleil has received takeover approaches potentially valuing the company at about $2bn, including one from Dubai, the Telegraph newspaper reported.
News reports put Cirque du Soleil's revenue at around $1bn a year, with 2025% pretax margins and no debt. Founder Guy Laliberté ploughs a significant proportion of profits back into development efforts.

The company's website lists six current touring shows, two arena shows, nine resident shows (six in Las Vegas) and one seasonal show, as well as other businesses.

Forbes in March ranked Laliberté the world's 707th richest person, with an estimated net worth of $1.7bn.

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