An entrepreneur from Nevada who once claimed ownership of land on the moon says he is selling lunar plots and has reportedly earned over $10 million from his unusual business.
Dennis Hope, 66, claims he found a gap in a 1967 UN space treaty that allowed him to claim land on Earth’s satellite.
He then split the land into smaller plots and began selling them. People could buy plots for $20 per acre or $25 if they wanted the rights to any minerals. Hope sold these plots both online and at a local bar through his company, Lunar Embassy.
Hollywood stars Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Clint Eastwood, and Star Wars creator George Lucas are reportedly among the six million people who have bought land on the moon from Dennis Hope.
Former US Presidents Reagan, Carter, and George W. Bush also had plots purchased for them. Multinational companies, such as Hilton and Marriott, are said to have invested as well.
Future Galactic Government of the moon, where Hope bought land
In 2004, Hope created his own “Galactic Government.” This state has its own constitution, congress, currency, and even a patent office.
Every buyer gets a special gold-embossed certificate and the right to vote in any future elections within this government.
Hope, a former used car salesman, studied land laws on Earth before contacting the United Nations to claim ownership of the moon.
In 1980, Dennis Hope claimed ownership of the moon, exploiting a loophole in the Outer Space Treaty. He sold lunar land plots, reportedly over 611 million acres. pic.twitter.com/j6NLLRwYut
— B.LingeshWaran (@Lingesh_Vortex) June 8, 2024
Since he didn’t receive a response denying his claim, he believes he legally owns the moon and its minerals.
Hope also declared ownership of most other planets in the solar system, along with their moons, at the same time, as reported by Daily Mail.
He said: “I couldn’t help thinking that there was a lot of unclaimed property up there.”
“I was intrigued enough to look up the treaty,” he revealed, “and sure enough Article Two states ‘no nation by appropriation shall have sovereignty or control over any satellite bodies.”
“I found a lot of countries accepted that land could be claimed so I just applied what I learned,” Hope explained. “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.”
From local bar to selling moon plots online
Hope, from San Francisco, came up with the idea of claiming the moon during a cross-country drive in the late 1970s.
He began selling plots of moon in his local bar, and, as the internet grew, he moved his business online.
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.’”
Now, Hope has ambitious plans to build a massive pyramid on the moon, designed to accommodate thousands of visitors. However, he believes living there permanently could result in medical problems for people.
