Previously, we mentioned that SpaceX has shifted focus from visiting mars to developing a lunar colony, but the organization is still adamant on traveling to the red planet one day. However, while Space X will try to set up a permanent settlement on Mars (Elon Musk's 200 million share payday is riding on it), the company will first try to buzz the red planet. Maybe.
Recently, news hit the internet that SpaceX will launch a private Starship flyby expedition to Mars (as part of live commentary for a Starship V3 liftoff that was ultimately scrubbed, irony of ironies). However, instead of requesting a decorated astronaut to lead this historic event, the company has snagged billionaire Chun Wang as the expedition's captain. Neither SpaceX nor Wang clarified when the historic mission would take place, although the flight is expected to last around two years.
While Wang could be the first billionaire to travel to Mars (more on that later), he isn't the first billionaire to reserve a seat on a SpaceX Starship. Previously, Jared Isaacman (founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments, and current administrator of NASA) commissioned several flights from SpaceX, including the first Polaris program. And John Shoffner (a race car driver and investor) piloted the Axiom Space Ax-2 mission.
Who is Chun Wang?
Since Chun Wang was handed time to announce he would captain SpaceX's (and possibly the world's) first private Mars flyby mission, it stands to reason he's a man of great import. So what does he do? Is he the CEO of a major tech company? Kinda: He's a cryptocurrency mogul.
Wang got his big start in 2011 when he discovered Bitcoin. Before then, he was a college dropout and tried to make a living through various software programming jobs. After learning about Bitcoin, Wang borrowed $40,000 from his father to invest in the then-growing cybercurrency. Wang's first attempts didn't pan out, but by 2013, he had enough successes under his belt to co-fund F2Pool, one of China's first Bitcoin mining operations, which eventually grew into the world's largest Bitcoin miner. In 2018, Wang launched another crypto mining platform, Stakefish. While China banned Bitcoin in 2021, which sank the crypto market, Wang had already amassed a fortune by then.
To be fair, Wang isn't getting to swing by Mars just because he dropped a fat stack of cash in Elon Musk's lap; Wang has been into space before. He was part of the Fram2 mission that used a SpaceX Dragon ship and Falcon 9 rocket to fly over both of Earth's poles. Then again, Wang basically funded that mission, so maybe his money has a lot more to do with his spot in the upcoming Mars flyby.
Will Chun Wang ever make it to Mars?
Artur Plawgo/Getty Images
On one hand, the announcement that Chun Wang will lead a mission to Mars is a big deal, since it'll be the first manned flight to the planet, even if he won't land on it. On the other hand, he wants to make the flight with unproven technology.
As mentioned, Wang made his announcement during a Starship V3 flight that was unceremoniously canceled. One could argue the event will prove prophetic, as even though Wang said he would fly to Mars using a SpaceX Starship, the vessels have yet to reach the moon. The Starship hasn't even flown manned missions. Wang's plans are the dictionary definition of putting the cart before the horse.
Even assuming SpaceX develops a Starship capable of reaching Mars (and safely returning to Earth), there's no guarantee Wang will wait long enough to fly in it. As Space.com pointed out, in 2018, Japanese billionaire Yusaka Maezawa (founder of the retail website Zozotown) reserved a spot for himself and eight other civilians on a Starship so they could fly to the moon. In 2025, Maezawa canceled his plans because he signed a contract with SpaceX under the assumption the flight would take place in 2023. It's currently 2026, and SpaceX has yet to launch a Starship that can reach the moon. Part of a SpaceX rocket will hit the moon later this year, but that's a jettisoned segment of a Falcon9 rocket, not an actual vessel. At the current rate of development, Wang will be lucky if he's alive by the time SpaceX is ready to shoot for Mars.