Crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun heading for space aboard Blue Origin flight

Justin Sun, the technology and cryptocurrency entrepreneur who recently announced that he is a diplomat for Grenada, said he’s going to space on a Blue Origin flight next year and will invite five people to join him. 

The 31-year-old also revealed himself as the anonymous bidder who paid $28m in an auction for a seat to join Jeff Bezos in Blue Origin’s first crewed mission in July, but had to reschedule due to a timing conflict. The closely held commercial space company founded by Bezos said at the time that the unnamed bidder will instead fly on a future trip.  

Sun, originally from China, is phasing out his leadership of Tron, a cryptocurrency platform he founded. Last week, he announced he was appointed Grenada’s representative to the World Trade Organisation in Geneva. Sun will be bringing the flag of the Caribbean nation, where he now holds citizenship, with him on the space trip.

Sun gained global notoriety through his involvements in cryptocurrencies as well as a series of high-profile bidding events. In 2019, he won an auction for lunch with Warren Buffett, though the meal was delayed after he was pressured to apologise on Chinese social media Weibo for “excessively” promoting the event with one of America’s richest people. He also bid for artist Beeple’s record nonfungible token and the NFT of Twitter Inc co-founder Jack Dorsey’s first-ever tweet, though he was outbid at both events. 

A Blue Origin spokesperson confirmed Sun’s upcoming trip and that he has already paid the $28m, which was given to Blue Origin’s nonprofit Club for the Future. 

“The initiative of Blue Origin to take more people to space to see earth as our singular common home is extraordinary,” Sun said on Wednesday. “I felt compelled to help further that vision through my bid.”

Sun said the five people he will nominate may include a member of the TRON DAO community, long-term holders of designated coins and other leaders from fashion, technology and entrepreneurship. Details on the nomination process and criteria will be announced in the coming months. 

Sun will join a small but growing group of ultra-wealthy adventurers who’ve bought their way into outer space thanks largely to competing ventures founded by billionaires such as Bezos, Richard Branson and Elon Musk. Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, who regularly gives out money on Twitter to attract followers, returned to earth on Monday after a 12-day trip into space. 

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