Finding love can be a difficult challenge we all face at some point but finding that one true love willing to go where no lover has been before is something one man has discovered might be a lightyear too far from becoming a reality. Think I’m joking? Well, for billionaire tech fashion Yusako Maezawa, he’s learned this hard truth about finding someone to keep warm in the cold depths of space the hard way.
According to BBC, this wasn’t for a lack of trying on Maezawa’s part. “Fashion mogul Yusaku Maezawa invited single women over the age of 20 to apply for a ‘match-making event’. Almost 28,000 applied, but on Thursday he said he was experiencing ‘mixed feelings’ and pulled out of the search.” Ouch, 28,000 applicants and Maezawa still couldn’t find that elusive “one.”
The applicants were far from just random women interested in the adventure of a lifetime, Maezawa’s website “featured a list of conditions and criteria, including: they had to be single; over the age of 20; and with an interest in going to space.” The BBC continued stating “Just one woman would be picked, with the process supposed to be turned into a matchmaking documentary called ‘Full Moon Lovers’.”
According to a report from Reuters, this was all part of Maezawa’s opportunity to be the first private passenger on Elon Musk’s Space X. As for the applicants, they had to complete an applications which included a “love diagnostic test” which vetted potential entrants “compatibility with the entrepreneur.” Other parts included multiple choice questions such as “If you rode in a private jet where would you go?” and “If Maezawa farted in front of you what would you say?”
While many critics have pointed out the strangeness of this whole escapade, with some calling the result of it a “failure to launch” (space puns totally intended), This stunt isn’t the first international spectacle under Maezawa’s belt.
The Verge pointed out that back in 2017, his fashion company Zozotown “shipped millions of free skintight suits that were supposed to be able to help measure customers’ body measurements so they could order clothes with a perfect fit.” Sounds like a smart plan? Well, the “free” part was the Maezawa was forced to admit was what ended up making the whole plan “an expensive failure” which ended up forcing Zozotown to close operations in both the United States and Europe entirely. This caused not only their stock to come crashing down but Maezawa had to step down as president, as well as being forced to sell Zozotown to Softbank’s Yahoo Japan before becoming financially ruined even further.
As Maezawa announced the end of his search for someone to join him on his proverbial space-love ship, he stated that “I understand that I have disappointed many people – the applicants and all the staff from AbemaTV who were involved in the production – and I apologize to everyone for my unfavorable actions. I am truly sorry from the bottom of my heart.”
