Guy Laliberté is selling his Outremont mansion at a reduced price, though that likely won’t help the average buyer much. The Cirque du Soleil co-founder’s 50-room Montreal pied-à-terre is on the market for a cool $12.75 million, down from the original price of $13.88 million when it went up for sale in October 2023.
So it’s a bargain, really. You could call it an early Black Friday sale, though the price was brought down in September. If it does sell at or near the current asking price, it could be the priciest home sale in Outremont, by far.
“The most expensive Outremont home sold on (real estate website) Centris is $6.25 million, though homes may have gone for more through private sales,” said Marie-Noëlle Nadeau of Profusion Immobilier Inc., who is selling the home with Christina Miller Group and Nathalie Néron of IMMEXCEL.
Laliberté’s estate is located at 70 Maplewood Ave., “one of the nicest streets in Outremont,” Nadeau said, adding that it is “a home that is out of the ordinary for Outremont. It was all renovated by Mr. Laliberté.”
The idiosyncratic billionaire, big-top ringleader and poker player has DJ’d around the globe, worn a clown nose in space and is known to own a tropical island or two. True to his extravagant profile, Laliberté bought the property for $2.5 million in 2006 and immediately set about giving it a very elaborate and individualized makeover. He moved in three years later.
“The renovations were long,” Nadeau said. “He really expanded. The house is enormous.” Everything is custom, made according to his tastes with materials that are unique. It’s a very, very personalized home.”
The house takes up 13,000 square feet on five floors, including two basements. There is approximately 3,000 sq. ft. of living space on each of the three other levels. It is distinguished by its stone façade and slate roof. The ground floor features a guest cloakroom and imposing entrance, private office with a fireplace, a powder room, family room, a living room/library and a private sitting room filled with natural light, as well as a dining room that seats 20, and a solarium.
“The dining room is super impressive,” Nadeau said. “It’s enormous. I’ve rarely seen a dining room like that.”
Also on the main floor is a gourmet chef’s kitchen as well as a smaller auxiliary kitchen for the owners to prepare light meals. Though impressive, the chef’s kitchen is not for everyone, Nadeau specifies.
“It’s really a closed kitchen, like a commercial kitchen for a restaurant. There’s also a kitchen section for the family and kids but it’s more to eat than to prepare food. I showed it to some potential buyers and the woman loves to cook; she likes a big island where everyone can eat while she cooks. (The current setup) would have had to be completely reconfigured.”
The second floor is accessible by a large staircase and includes seven ample bedrooms, including one with a private terrace, one with an en suite bathroom, and three family bathrooms.
The top floor is entirely devoted to the primary bedroom. It’s the only part of the house for which there are no photos available as Laliberté didn’t allow any to be taken. The listing describes it as “a true sanctuary with skylights offering views of the city and the mountain.”
The room includes a boudoir, a vast walk-in closet, a luxury bathroom with a carved stone bathtub and steam shower. It also includes a powder room, office and secondary walk-in closet, plus a cathedral ceiling “providing an intimate and serene atmosphere.”
The first basement has a bar, a billiards room, DJ booth, family room, gym, a home cinema and a 500-bottle wine cellar.
“It’s really party central,” Nadeau said. “It’s a home that is super comfortable and made to entertain.”
Also in the first basement are storage areas, staff quarters and machine rooms, a refrigerated room for waste and access to the garage. The second basement is devoted to technical installations including a geothermal system, a generator, home automation facilities and central air.
The property includes two garages, six parking spaces and an elaborately landscaped front yard featuring various gathering areas, one with a gas fireplace, a covered terrace for dining and lounging and a discrete barbecue area with an Argentine grill just off the chef’s kitchen.
Built in 1930, the house and the 15,660 sq. ft. property on which it sits have a combined municipal evaluation of $8.989 million. City taxes are $56,359 per year, along with $7,603 in school taxes.
Though it’s located in upper Outremont, Nadeau points out that the property is “close to urban commodities. You can go by foot to Laurier Ave. and public transportation.”
If you’ve given up on the mental acrobatics required to figure out how you might afford such an abode and you’re wondering who exactly might be interested in — let alone have the cash for — it, Nadeau says the pool of potential new owners is expanding.
“I’ve had buyers from Westmount come to see the property,” she said, explaining it’s not just a question of money but of finding the right fit.
“It’s not necessarily to the taste of all buyers,” she said of the home. “The renovations were done a few years ago. The materials are very, very high quality but they’re not necessarily the goût du jour for everyone. This home was really built for the tastes and needs of Mr. Laliberté, which aren’t the needs and tastes of monsieur et madame tout le monde, even if you have $12 million to spend on a property.”
