Meet the Japanese Billionaire Who ’s Paying Elon Musk for a Trip Around the Moon

Elon Musk’s SpaceX introduced the world to the company’s first space tourist Monday night, announcing that Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa is set to embark on a voyage around the moon. “Finally, I can tell you that I choose to go to the moon!” said Maezawa at a press conference at the aerospace company’s headquarters on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Maezawa’s journey will not take place until at least 2023 on a yet-to-be-built rocket. The mission could be delayed for a number of reasons, including production delays and more. Here’s what to know about Yusaku Maezawa. Who is Yusaku Maezawa? Maezawa, 42, lives in Chiba, a city 25 miles southeast of Tokyo. He was a billionaire by his mid-30s, making his fortune in online retailing. He started Japanese e-commerce giant Start Today in 1998 and popular fashion marketplace Zozotown in 2004. He is the 18th richest man in Japan, according to Forbes, with a personal wealth of $2.9 billion. An enthusiastic art collector, he is known for dramatic splurges. In 2016, he dropped almost $100 million during a spending spree at two art auctions in New York. His most expensive known purchase is a large work by Jean-Michel Basquiat valued at $110.5 million. Another serious shot w @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/e11lyfjfFN — Yusaku Maezawa 前澤友作 (@yousuck2020) September 18, 2018 What will Maezawa do on the trip? Maezawa isn’t going to the moon alone. He plans to ...
Source: TIME: Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Uncategorized onetime space SpaceX Source Type: news