Musk Pledges $50 Million to Children's Charity Inspiration4, the first-ever tourism mission into space, launched Wednesday morning.

By Entrepreneur Staff Edited by Emily Rella Sep 20, 2021

Elon Musk pledged on Saturday to donate $50 million to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, helping exceed the $200 million fundraising goal of last week's Inspiration4 space mission.

"Count me in for $50M," the SpaceX founder tweeted after the account for Inspiration4 tweeted that the all-civilian crew was back on Earth and still soliciting donations to hit the $200 million mark.

Inspiration4, the first-ever tourism mission into space, launched Wednesday morning. Four people were onboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which departed from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew came back down off the coast of Florida.

According to a release from SpaceX, the spaceflight mission launched at 8:02 p.m ET Wednesday. A second release confirmed the splashdown occurred at 7:06 p.m. ET Saturday. The crew spent six months training for the mission, which is expected to last about three days.

The crew set a number of records for spaceflight, including featuring the first Black female spacecraft pilot, the youngest American in space and the first person to fly to space with a prosthetic. It was the farthest flight for a human spaceflight since the Hubble missions and the first time SpaceX has operated three Dragons in space.

At the time of splashdown, the flight's fundraising stood at $154 million.

Entrepreneur Staff

Editor

For more than 30 years, Entrepreneur has set the course for success for millions of entrepreneurs and small business owners. We'll teach you the secrets of the winners and give you exactly what you need to lay the groundwork for success.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Most Popular

See all

Data & Recovery

Invest in Your Company's Cybersecurity with This $50 Bundle

Train to become a certified ethical hacker with this collection of e-learning courses.

By Entrepreneur Store

Business Culture

Are 5-Day Workweeks Outdated? Exploring Alternative Schedules for the Modern Workforce

Discussing the history and evolution of the five-day workweek and exploring more flexible work schedules that better accommodate the diverse needs and lifestyles of today's workforce.

By Adam Markel

Growing a Business

3 Strategies to Keep Your Customers Coming Back For More

The critical risk area for losing a guest varies, depending on the industry and the individual guest's experience, but three main touch points offer opportunities to reinforce loyalty. Just remember that they can also drive guests away if not done right.

By Dave Ragosa

Starting a Business

Maximize Profits and Achieve Success With These Effective Goal Setting Tips

Join us for this exclusive subscriber Q&A, where Clinton Sparks shares his goal-setting secrets for all entrepreneurs.

By Entrepreneur Staff

Business Culture

Hybrid Work Is Failing Your Employees — Here's Why (and What You Can Do About It)

Business leaders are trying to choose between in-person and remote work. This leads to hybrid, which just isn't effective. Here's why.

By David Nilssen

Growing a Business

How to Properly Manage the Cash Flow of Your Startup

Ever think financial planning and analysis is just for big businesses? Think again! Startups thrive on solid financial planning, which is key to staying ahead of your competitors.

By Nick Chandi