Robert Bigelow's Net Worth and Contributions
Robert Bigelow, a prominent American hotel entrepreneur and aerospace engineer, boasts an impressive net worth of $1 billion. Hailing from Nevada, Bigelow pursued higher education at Arizona State University, where he graduated in the late 1960s with degrees in both real estate and banking.
Real Estate Ventures
Bigelow's foray into the real estate industry began almost immediately after he left school. Within three years, he owned 100 apartments in Las Vegas and initiated the construction of a 40-unit apartment building. Today, he owns the Budget Suites of America hotel chain and numerous other properties, with his real estate developments valued at over $1 billion.
Passion for Space Exploration
Bigelow is not just a real estate magnate; he is also renowned for his enthusiasm for space exploration. A firm believer in the existence of extraterrestrial life, he has invested a significant portion of his wealth into advancing space exploration initiatives. His company, Bigelow Aerospace, has dedicated hundreds of millions of dollars to developing inflatable space habitats.
These groundbreaking habitats are designed to provide astronauts with a safe and sustainable living environment in space. Prototypes of these inflatable modules are already in orbit around Earth. Bigelow Aerospace has secured multiple international agreements to construct additional habitats, with the goal of making the first fully habitable inflatable space station a reality in the near future. The cost for an astronaut to stay on this inflatable station for 30 days is projected to be $28,750,000.