First SpaceX Passenger Identified As Japanese Billionaire Yusaku Maezawa

Japanese billionaire identified as first private passenger to fly around the moon

A Japanese billionaire was identified on Monday as the first passenger on a planned private trip around the moon on a spacecraft designed by California-based SpaceX

"I choose to go to the moon!" Yusaku Maezawa said to cheers and applause at the company's headquarters Monday night. The 42-year-old made his money founding Japan's largest online fashion mall and is estimated by Forbes to be the 18th-richest person in Japan with a net worth of almost $3 billion. 

The launch is scheduled to happen in 2023.

Maezawa will attempt to become the first human being to return to the moon in nearly 50 years. Only two-dozen people have ever made it to the moon with the last moon mission happening in 1972 with Apollo 17.

"Ever since I was a kid, I have loved the moon," he said. "Just staring at the moon filled my imagination. ... That is why I could not pass up this opportunity to see the moon up close, and at the same time, I did not want to have such a fantastic experience by myself."

The mission, which will take about a week, will not actually land on the moon at any point. 

Maezawa also said that he plans on taking six to eight artists from around the world with him. 

"These artists will be asked to create something after they return to Earth," he said. 

He didn't say who he wants to invite along on the voyage, but joked that "if you should hear from me, please say yes and accept my invitation." 

Maezawa built his fortune starting with a mail-order catalog business called Start Today. He began selling clothing online, eventually establishing Zozotown, the largest online fashion mall of its type in Japan. Forbes ranked him as the 14th richest person in Japan with a net worth of about $3.6 billion. 

The BFR is a 35-story tall rocket designed to launch and land just like SpaceX's Falcon 9. Earlier this year, Musk made headlines after he used the test launch of the BFR at Kennedy Space Center to put a red Tesla Roadsterdriven by a Starman mannequin into space. 

Musk declined to reveal how much Maezawa paid for his private voyage, saying that he wouldn't "disclose the amount, but he's paying a very significant amount of money." 

"To be clear. This is dangerous ... it's not a sure thing ... there are some chances things could go wrong," Musk added.

Photos: Getty Images


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