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Yusaku Maezawa Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

Yusaku Maezawa

Bio/Wiki
Native Name前澤 友作
Profession(s)Entrepreneur & Art Collector
Famous ForBeing announced the first private customer to ride around the Moon by SpaceX
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)in centimeters- 165 cm
in meters- 1.65 m
in feet inches- 5’ 5”
Weight (approx.)in kilograms- 55 kg
in pounds- 121 lbs
Eye ColorBlack
Hair ColorDark Brown
Personal Life
Date of Birth22 November 1975
Age (as in 2017)42 Years
BirthplaceKamagaya, Chiba Prefecture, Japan
Zodiac sign/Sun signScorpio
NationalityJapanese
HometownKamagaya, Chiba Prefecture, Japan
School Waseda Jitsugyo High School, Tokyo, Japan
College/UniversityDid Not Attend
Educational QualificationHigh School
ReligionNot Known (he has a keen interest in Buddhist statues, especially those from the Heian Period (794-1185)) [1]Japan Times
EthnicityAsian
Food HabitNon-Vegetarian
HobbiesListening to Music, Playing the Guitar & Drums, Traveling, Artifact Collection
Awards, Honors, Achievements He has been awarded with Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government
Yusaku Maezawa And Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Girls, Affairs, and More
Marital StatusDivorced
Affairs/GirlfriendsName Not Known
Family
Wife/SpouseName Not Known
Children1 (Name Not Known)
ParentsFather- Name Not Known (an Accountant)
Mother- Name Not Known (Homemaker)
SiblingsBrother- 1 (Name Not Known)
Sister- None
Style Quotient
Car(s) CollectionBugatti Chiron, Aston Martin One-77, A Custom Pagani Zonda, Aston Martin Valkyrie
Yusaku Maezawa With His Aston Martin
Money Factor
Net Worth (approx.)$2.9 Billion (as in 2018) [2]Forbes

Yusaku Maezawa

Some Lesser Known Facts about Yusaku Maezawa

  • Does Yusaku Maezawa smoke?: Not Known
  • Does Yusaku Maezawa drink alcohol?: Yes

    Yusaku Maezawa Drinking Alcohol

    Yusaku Maezawa Drinking Alcohol

  • Yusaku Maezawa was born in a modest family in Chiba Prefecture.

    5 Year Old Yusaku Maezawa

    5 Year Old Yusaku Maezawa

  • He grew up in Chiba Prefecture with a keen interest in understanding how things are made.

    Yusaku Maezawa Hometown Chiba

    Yusaku Maezawa Hometown Chiba

  • In an interview, Maezawa said-

    “When construction work took place in our neighborhood, I would go and observe the building site.”

  • Before switching to drums in his high school, he used to play the guitar in his middle school. He switched to drums; because he thought there was always an overwhelming lack of drummers.

    Yusaku Maezawa Drumming

    Yusaku Maezawa Drumming

  • While attending the Waseda Jitsugyo High School in 1991, Maezawa formed a band with his classmates called “Switch Style.” Band’s first EP was released in 1993.

    17 Year Old Yusaku Maezawa With His Band

    17 Year Old Yusaku Maezawa With His Band

  • Gradually, his band drew a following and was picked up by a record label; leading to his first taste of success.
  • After graduating from high school, he did not attend the college; instead, he moved to the United States with a girlfriend.
  • While in the United States, Maezawa started collecting CDs and records.
  • In 1995, he returned to Japan with a collection of CDs and records and started selling imported albums and CDs through the mail. It became the basis for his first company, “Start Today” that he launched in 1998 when he was 22. He took the company’s name from the title of an album by New York-based punk band, “Gorilla Biscuits.”
  • In the same year, i.e., 1998, his company signed with the label BMG Japan.
  • In 2000, his company went online, offering niche fashion apparel in addition to music.
  • Around 2001-2002, Maezawa quit touring along with his band, and he gives the reason-

    “I was president of my company while touring around the country with the band,” he said. “When it became physically impossible to handle both, I chose my company — that was around when I was 25 or 26.”

  • In 2004, his company, Start Today launched Zozotown; a retail clothing website, which initially introduced products from 17 apparel stores.

    Yusaku Maezawa And ZOZOSUIT

    Yusaku Maezawa And ZOZOSUIT

  • In 2007, Start Today was listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s Mothers section for high-growth startups and continued to expand over the next decade.
  • A company that began with just four staff members now (as of 2018) employs nearly 900; featuring around 6,300 brands with over 520,000 items.
  • He has also introduced ZOZO, a custom-fit clothing brand, and the ZOZOSUIT, an at-home measurement system.
  • Maezawa is so attached to his hometown Chiba that unlike many startups that opt their headquarters in Central Tokyo, Star Today’s headquarter has remained in the Chiba Prefecture since 2001. He says-

    “I feel comfortable in Chiba. There’s more fresh air and you can see the ocean.”

  • In 2012, he founded “Contemporary Art Foundation” in Tokyo; with a goal of “supporting young artists as a pillar of the next generation of contemporary art.”

    Yusaku Maezawa And Contemporary Art Foundation Tokyo

    Yusaku Maezawa And Contemporary Art Foundation Tokyo

  • During an interview, he revealed that he was planning to open a museum in Chiba where he can showcase his vast collection of art, furniture, and antiques.

    Yusaku Maezawa

    Yusaku Maezawa

  • In 2017, he won the auction for a painting by Basquiat for $110.5 million.

    Yusaku Maezawa Basquiat Painting

    Yusaku Maezawa Basquiat Painting

  • In September 2018, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk revealed that Yusaku Maezawa will be the first commercial passenger to attempt a flyby around the Moon onboard a SpaceX BFR rocket, which is slated to take place in 2023. Six to eight artists would accompany him as a part of an art project he has created called #dearMoon.

    Yusaku Maezawa SpaceX

    Yusaku Maezawa SpaceX

  • Maezawa’s many ventures are driven by a common principle, his enthusiasm. He says-

    “Playing in a band, selling records through mail order and selling clothes — these are all things I love doing,” he said. “If that can please others, then I couldn’t be happier.”

References/Sources:[+]