Dennis Hope, a 66-year-old entrepreneur from Nevada, is known as the man who owns the moon. He has reportedly earned over $10 million from his unusual business of selling plots of land on the moon. Hope claims that he discovered a gap in a 1967 UN space treaty, allowing him to claim ownership of Earth’s satellite. He then split the land into smaller plots and began selling them for $20 per acre, or $25 if buyers wanted the rights to any minerals.
Hope has sold these plots both online and at a local bar through his company, Lunar Embassy. His list of reported buyers includes Hollywood stars such as Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Clint Eastwood, and Star Wars creator George Lucas. Former U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, and George W. Bush also had plots purchased for them, while major companies such as Hilton and Marriott are said to have invested as well.
Dennis Hope, the American man who owns the moon
Hope, originally from San Francisco, first came up with the idea of claiming the moon during a cross-country drive in the late 1970s. He initially began selling lunar plots at his local bar before taking his business online as the internet grew. Reflecting on his early days, Hope recalled, “I’d sit in bars, with a batch of deeds in my coat. I’d get [to] talking to someone, and they asked what I did, [and] I’d say, ‘I sell the moon.’”
In 2004, Hope established his own “Galactic Government,” which he says governs the lunar land he claims to own. This government has its own constitution, congress, currency, and even a patent office. Every person who buys a lunar plot from Hope receives a special gold-embossed certificate and the right to vote in any future elections within this government.
Hope, a former used car salesman, came up with the idea after studying land laws on Earth and contacting the United Nations to assert his claim of ownership over the moon. He argues that, since the UN never denied his claim, he legally owns the moon and its minerals.
Alongside the moon, Hope has also declared ownership of most other planets in the solar system and their moons. “I couldn’t help thinking that there was a lot of unclaimed property up there,” Hope said. He explained, “I was intrigued enough to look up the treaty, and sure enough, Article Two states ‘no nation by appropriation shall have sovereignty or control over any satellite bodies.’” Hope interpreted this to mean individuals could claim land, adding, “People have said just because the UN never responded doesn’t mean you own it. Well, I did my due diligence, [and] they should have done theirs.”
Ambitious plans for the moon
Hope has even more ambitious plans for his lunar real estate, including building a massive pyramid on the moon designed to accommodate thousands of visitors. However, despite his optimistic outlook, Hope acknowledges that living on the moon permanently may present significant challenges, particularly health issues.
He remarked that the moon’s harsh environment could result in medical problems for people who attempt to live there long-term.