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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Chiara Giordano

Japanese billionaire seeks girlfriend for trip around moon

A Japanese billionaire is seeking a girlfriend to join him on a trip to the moon.

Yusaku Maezawa’s search for a single 20-something female to accompany him on his voyage is to be the subject of a new documentary programme.

The 44-year-old entrepreneur, who sold his online fashion retailer Zozo Inc to SoftBank Group Corp, is due to fly around the moon in 2023 as the first private passenger with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

Mr Maezawa, who recently split from 27-year-old actress girlfriend Ayame Goriki, said he wanted to find a “life partner” to shout about their “love and world peace from outer space”.

The documentary, titled Full Moon Lovers, will be streamed on AbemaTV.

Applicants must “be interested in going into space and able to participate in the preparation for it” and “be someone who wishes for world peace”, a website set up for the documentary states.

The deadline for applications is 17 January and Mr Maezawa will select his partner by the end of March.

The documentary is the latest high-profile move by the billionaire, who is also giving away 1 billion yen (£7m) to his Twitter followers in an attempt to spark debate in Japan about the merits of the idea of basic income.

Additional reporting by Reuters.

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