Yusaku Maezawa has been announced as the first person to fly around the moon as part of Elon Musk’s SpaceX project.
Maezawa is a billionaire and Musk has revealed that his contribution is helping make the dream of flying around the moon a possibility. The Japanese entrepreneur has purchased all the seats on SpaceX’s first manned flight around the moon, though no date for the trip has been set.
But how much is Yusaku Maezawa worth? Surely, it takes quite the net worth to invest in SpaceX and buy his way onto the rocket that will carry him into space. Forbes reports that his net worth is $2.9 billion, though the tycoon had humble beginnings in business, starting by selling CDs and records when he was younger.
He setup Japan’s largest online fashion mall called Zozotown in 2004, and he also founded Start Today back in 1998.
Yusaku Maezawa also revealed that he plans on inviting a few artists to come with him. The idea is that they will be asked to create works inspired by their trip into space. He calls the project #dearmoon. While the artists haven’t been selected, it seems to be a personal desire to bring the artists with him.
Yusaku has a large art collection, which is part of his net worth. Back in May, he spent $110.5 million for Jean-Michel Basquiat’s 1982 painting “Untitled.”
It’s unknown how much Maezawa paid for the flight around the moon, but Elon Musk has revealed that it’s quite the sum, which is helping with the ship, booster, and everything else to get ready for launch.