Gone are the days when the ultra-wealthy members of society spent their fortunes on libraries and museums. Now, to make the world a better place, modern billionaires are opening their deep pockets in pursuit of big science. The latest to do so is Russian billionaire Yuri Milner, who just announced that he will send a fleet of pico-satellites to explore Alpha Centauri.
Milner’s announcement is cool on many levels, but it’s also proof that the world of research funding has dramatically changed over the years since NASA put the first man on the Moon.
So, with that in mind, here are some of the major players spending their fortunes on what they believe to be the future of science:
