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Cirque de Soleil founder Guy Laliberte in custody for growing cannabis in French Polynesia

Cirque de Soleil founder Guy Laliberte in custody for growing cannabis in French Polynesia

The founder of Cirque de Soleil, Guy Laliberte, has been taken into police custody in French Polynesia for growing cannabis, Laliberte's investment firm said on Wednesday.

Montreal-based tech and innovation investment company Lune Rouge said Laliberte, 60, is being questioned regarding cannabis cultivated for "his personal use only" at his residence on Nukutepipi, an island in French Polynesia.

Laliberte, a billionaire according to the 2019 Forbes list, "categorically denies and dissociates himself completely from any rumours implicating him in the sale or the traffic of controlled substances," Anne Dongois, head of communications for Lune Rouge, said in an emailed statement.

Reuters could not immediately reach French Polynesia officials for comment.

The statement described Laliberte as a medical cannabis user and said the company is collaborating with local authorities on the investigation.

Laliberte founded Cirque de Soleil in 1984 in Montreal, turning a passion for acrobatics and circus acts into a global entertainment empire.

In 2015, a consortium led by US private equity firm TPG Capital Management acquired a majority stake in Cirque de Soleil, with Laliberte's family trust retaining a 10 per cent stake, Reuters reported then.

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