If California property prices are out of your budget, you may want to consider some land on the moon.
Since 1980, Dennis Hope, of Rio Visa, has sold over 16 billion acres of lunar land. And for as little as $24.99, you can purchase a plot with a crater, a moon mountain or even a future space ship runway.
“This is my only source of income and it has been for the past 23 years,” Hope said.
Lunar Embassy is his company and he sells property on the moon on his website to 197 different countries. The moon market is so good, Dennis can afford to spend most his days at the golf course.
Since 1980, he says he’s sold over seven million properties, some of those sold to celebrities such as George Lucas, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, three former presidents and Donald Trump. Hope also sells property on eight different planets and their moons.
“I will sell you Pluto for $250,000 and we will finance that for 30 years," Hope said.
The out-of-this-world business is no joke, but Hope says the way he got into the business is kind of laughable. In 1980, Hope was a struggling actor.
“I was divorced, out of money and really wondering what I wanted to be in life," Hope said, adding Hollywood wasn't paying his bills, so he decided to sell property. The only problem was, he didn’t own any property. "I looked at the moon and thought there is a lot of property."
Hope knew he couldn't just sell moon property unless he owned moon property. So, he found a loophole.
“I audited a class at Linfield College,” Hope said. “The class was about the 1967 Space Treaty.”
The loophole Hope found was written Article II of the United Nations 1967 Space Treaty. It reads:
“Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means.”
“No nation or government can claim ownership of the Moon,” Hope clarified.
Since Hope was not a nation, he figured he could claim ownership. So, he wrote the United Nations stating his claim.
"I wanted to inform....inform the U.N. what I was doing, not ask permission,” Hope said. “So, I wrote the U.N. a letter and told them I was taking ownership. They didn't respond. They have never responded."
The so called “loophole” in the U.N. Space Treaty has been the basis of Hope’s claim, but not everyone agrees with Hope’s logic.
Professor Anupam Chandler is a Law Professor at UC Davis. He doubts the claim would hold up should it ever go to court.
“There is no governing body,” Chandler said. “Not the U.N. nor the U.S. or any government can author or grant the right to celestial body. There is no authority.”
In Hope’s defense, he went to great lengths to notify government leaders. He even got a copyright for his business. But, Chandler says that will probably be ignored by anyone traveling to the moon.
“No, it’s not illegal,” Chandler said. “He is just selling you something he doesn't own.”
Hope says he constantly hears from skeptics.
"They are entitled to their opinion…I just think they are wrong," Hope said.
Despite what some say, Hope continues to do what he can to protect the rights of the seven million lunar land owners. That’s why he created, what he calls, the “Galactic Government” and he is doing it for a good reason.
“Right now, we are aware of 27 different companies exercising their right to create rockets that will take them to the moon to mine Helium 3,” Hope said.
Helium 3 is a rare element that could be used to create fusion energy and produce clean electricity for the world. The moon is loaded with Helium 3 and China is actively sending lunar modals to try and mine Helium 3.
"We want to know how much they take out because there is a 10 percent charge from The Galactic Government of mineral extracted from the moon,” Hope said.
Hope may not live to see the day Helium 3 is commercially mined from the moon, but he would like to see his property owners benefit from it in the future.
“This is not a get rich quick scheme,” Hope said. “For the first 15 years, I hardly made anything.”
He’s worked hard to keep his customers happy. Other Copycat companies have tried to compete with him, but Hope says those companies probably didn't have as much fun as he has had.
“This is truly a fun gig,” Hope said. “It’s afforded me the opportunity to travel all over the world doing TV and Newspaper interviews about my properties. I love it.”