This archive report was first published on 13 January 2020.
Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has sparked controversy with an unusual online ad seeking a girlfriend to join him on a historic trip to the Moon in 2023.
According to the ad, Maezawa, who recently announced his break-up with a Japanese actress, is looking for a 'single woman aged 20 or over' who wants to 'enjoy life to the fullest'.
The matchmaking exercise, which is being turned into a TV show for a web streaming service, has been met with both excitement and criticism, with some accusing Maezawa of objectifying women.
"I have lived exactly as I've wanted to until now," Maezawa said in the ad. "I'm 44 now. As feelings of loneliness and emptiness slowly begin to surge upon me, there's one thing that I think about: Continuing to love one woman."
Maezawa, who has three children with two women, plans to take about half a dozen artists with him on the trip, which will take them around the Moon without landing on it.
The deadline to apply is January 17, 2020, and Maezawa will make a final selection by the end of March after going on dates with the applicants.
