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Philippe Petit

Motivational Speaker & High Wire Artist

Motivational Speaker & High Wire Artist

Travels From Travels From:
New York, NY, USA
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Philippe Petit Biography

Philippe Petit, universal poet laureate of the high wire, was born in France and took his first steps on the wire at age 16. He learned everything by himself while being expelled from five different schools. Performing on five continents, he taught himself Spanish, German, Russian, and English, and developed a keen appreciation for architecture and engineering. Using his wire to extend the boundaries of theater, music, writing, poetry, and drawing, he has become an inimitable high wire artist.

On August 7, 1974, Petit accomplished what may be the most astounding “artistic crime” of all time. He walked a high wire illegally stretched between the rooftops of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, making eight crossings over the course of an hour, a quarter mile above the sidewalks of New York. Petit’s book, To Reach the Clouds (re-titled Man on Wire in paperback), recounts that adventure and is the basis of the 2009 Academy Award-wining documentary film, Man on Wire, as well as the upcoming feature film, The Walk, to be directed by Robert Zemeckis.

In the nearly 40 years since the World Trade Center walk, Petit has performed on the high wire more than 100 times around the world in such locations as Paris, Tokyo, Frankfurt, Jerusalem, and New York City where he has been an artist-in-residence at The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine for more than 30 years. Petit is the recipient of the first Action Maverick Award; the New York Historical Society Award; the prestigious James Parks Morton Interfaith Award; and the Byrdcliffe Award. He is a laureate of the Foundation de la Vocation par Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet, and the French Ministry of Culture bestowed upon him the title of Chevalier des Arts & des Lettres. Petit was a featured speaker at the 2012 TED Conference.

Petit’s most recent book, Why Knot? How to Tie More than Sixty Ingenious, Useful, Beautiful, Life-Saving, and Secure Knots! was released in April 2013. His forthcoming book, Creativity, the Perfect Crime, is due out in April 2014.

Petit’s new high wire project is the Rapa Nui Walk, a walk on an inclined cable set on Easter Island in homage to the Rapa Nui and their giant stone statues known as Moai. Among his most cherished goals is the continuation of his first series of high wire master classes, Tightrope! An Exploration into the Theatre of Balance.

In addition to walking the high wire, Philippe Petit writes, draws, performs close-up magic, practices lock-picking and 18th century timber framing, plays chess, studies French wine, and was recently sighted bullfighting in Peru. An internationally known speaker, he gives lectures and workshops on creativity and motivation.

Philippe Petit Speaking Topics

  • Creativity for the Fanatic: A Confession by an Outlaw

  • Don't Be Afraid: Creativity, Tenacity, Motivation & the Pursuit of Excellence

  • Sharpening the Mind: The Intellectual Risk & Architecture of Rebellion

  • On the High Wire: An Unusual Approach to Risk Management

Philippe Petit Videos

  • Russell shares a scotch with high-wire legend Philippe Petit
  • Philippe Petit: One Man Show - Philosophy on Life
  • Why You Should Value Your Mistakes, with High-Wire Artist Philippe Petit

Philippe Petit Books

  • The Walk: Previously published as To Reach The Clouds
    The Walk: Previously published as To Reach The Clouds
  • Creativity: The Perfect Crime
    Creativity: The Perfect Crime
  • Why Knot?: How to Tie More than Sixty Ingenious, Useful, Beautiful, Lifesaving, and Secure Knots!
    Why Knot?: How to Tie More than Sixty Ingenious, Useful, Beautiful, Lifesaving, and Secure Knots!
  • Man on Wire
    Man on Wire
  • To Reach the Clouds
    To Reach the Clouds
  • To Reach the Clouds : My High Wire Walk Between the Twin Towers
    To Reach the Clouds : My High Wire Walk Between the Twin Towers

FAQs on booking Philippe Petit

  • How do I book Philippe Petit to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Philippe Petit for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Philippe Petit, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Philippe Petit or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Philippe Petit

    Speaking fees for Philippe Petit, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Philippe Petit are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Philippe Petit, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Philippe Petit speak about?

    Philippe Petit is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Authors, Business, Creativity Speakers, Innovation, Inspirational, Motivation, Music, Personal Growth, Speakers by Industry.
  • Where does Philippe Petit travel from?

    Philippe Petit generally travels from New York, NY, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Philippe Petit’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Philippe Petit for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Philippe Petit for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Philippe Petit or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Philippe Petit is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Creativity for the Fanatic: A Confession by an Outlaw, Don't Be Afraid: Creativity, Tenacity, Motivation & the Pursuit of Excellence, Sharpening the Mind: The Intellectual Risk & Architecture of Rebellion and On the High Wire: An Unusual Approach to Risk Management. The estimated speaking fee range to book Philippe Petit for your event is $30,000 - $50,000. Philippe Petit generally travels from New York, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Doc Hendley, Benjamin Zander, Robin Crow, Ken Burns and David Nour. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Philippe Petit for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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