Ratlinks Redux: SPACE TRAVEL WITH SIR RICHARD BRANSON
If Richard Branson offers you an investment opportunity don't brush it off.
Space Tourism & Lunch with Richard Branson
During the dog days of last summer, those glorious warm days when you could still go outside. I invited the founder of my firm to lunch. An IPO roadshow lunch. An IPO roadshow is when a company looking to “go public” meets with investors to describe their business and why you should invest in the issuance.
En route to the lunch, the founder, asks: “what type of business is the company we are going to see?”
My cursory response: “we are going to learn about space tourism.”
To which, he replied: “this sounds like the stupidest thing ever.”
We arrive at lunch, held in a medium-sized ballroom, with about six tables set up. At the front table, I spot Richard Branson, sitting by himself. Since he is sitting alone, for some reason, I believe it is OK to approach him.
I walk up, extend my hand and say “Sir Richard my name is Evan. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
As he is shaking my hand, I look into his eyes and wonder what he is thinking, it is likely something along the lines of, “who the heck is this wanker shaking my hand?”
A split second later, he graciously thanks me for attending and asks my view on Social Capital, the company he is partnering with.
At that exact moment, Chamath Palihapitiya, the founder of Social Capital comes over to greet me.
Even though we have never met, I greet him with “great to see you again.”
A refrain I have seen more than one VIP use upon meeting someone for the first time.
He returns my volley with a reciprocal “always great to see you.”
Sir Richard asks me when I am booking my flight to space, to which I respond “when I can afford it.”
A classic plight of the every man joke, that obviously resonated well with an eccentric billionaire who owns his own private island.
As I return to my seat, Sir Richard gets up and proceeds to greet every person in the audience one by one. Every person in the room knew who he was, now he knew who everyone was, creating a reciprocal connection that resonated with every single person in the audience.
At that point, the presentation began with a description of how Virgin Galactic and Social Capital are creating the first publicly traded space travel company.
Space Tourism: Final frontier or next tourist trap:
The quick and skinny:
Only 600 people or “astronauts” have ever traveled to space.
95% of the population is “fit” enough to travel into space.
If you have $250,000, you can join a waiting list of 600 people, who have pre-paid to travel into space as early as next year.
Your $250,000 four day excursion begins with a flight to the Virgin Airfield in New Mexico.
Upon arrival, you are treated to a battery of physical exams and then retire to five-star accommodations.
Day two includes activities such as a seat fitting and a micro-gravity preparation master class.
By day three, you are ready for a dress rehearsal flight.
If all goes well, and the weather is perfect the next day you board a Virgin Spaceship, and exit the Earth’s atmosphere for an hour and a half trip into space.
After 90 minutes, the ship then tilts like a badminton shuttlecock and glides back to Earth.
Upon landing, you are greeted by your friends and family, there to attend a ceremony, at which you are officially proclaimed an astronaut and pinned with wings.
At this point, the founder of my firm leaned in and said “I must talk to Richard Branson. I want to send my wife to space right now!”
What about you?
Do you have an interest in traveling to space?
Why do you want to go?
Is it to explore or is your need to get to space just to get that selfie?
Think of the #CaptionGoalz and potential post-trip convos:
Did you go to Bali on holiday?
Tell me everything! Is Bali still a thing?
Oh me, I just got back from a little place called outer space.
Have you been? It’s great this time of year.
P.S That selfie will totally help you get blue checkmarked.
But, you need to get there before Space is thought of the same way as Tulum.
Me, I am just trying to score an invite to Necker Island.
