The Man Who Sells the Moon | Op-Docs | The New York Times

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  • čas přidán 10. 03. 2013
  • This short documentary looks at Dennis Hope, a Nevada man who has made a living "selling" plots of land on the moon.
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    The Man Who Sells the Moon | Op-Docs | The New York Times
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Komentáře • 509

  • @champgonzo
    @champgonzo Před 11 lety +171

    Holy shit, this dude was my neighbor when I was a little kid. I totally remember calling him the moon man. I sold this guy popcorn through my school one time, and he guy had the nerve to question if what I was selling was legit and that HE wasn't being ripped off. True story; I was like 8. Cant believe I remember that.

    • @lindseyhiccups
      @lindseyhiccups Před 3 lety +7

      I believe you

    • @lilWhelox
      @lilWhelox Před 3 lety +1

      @@lindseyhiccups yeah

    • @lilWhelox
      @lilWhelox Před 3 lety +3

      @@lindseyhiccups 8 years ago and we trust you

    • @adventure_lewis3354
      @adventure_lewis3354 Před 3 lety +4

      0:30 He is such a hypocrite

    • @oh_knee7173
      @oh_knee7173 Před 2 lety +1

      The "Moon Agreement"
      Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies
      Adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 34/68, opened for signature on 18 December 1979, entered into force on 11 July 1984.

  • @bocanegraeric20
    @bocanegraeric20 Před 3 lety +44

    its insane that he refuses to pay for the energy from the sun, but claims he's an honest man.

  • @Hawkgoulet
    @Hawkgoulet Před 3 lety +28

    This might be the greatest story I've ever heard.

  • @Eloohim
    @Eloohim Před 11 lety +82

    I own the sun and you have to pay me for the light you are using :))) priceless

  • @TalladegaTom
    @TalladegaTom Před 11 lety +28

    "There's a sucker born every minute" comes to mind.

  • @MladenKirilov
    @MladenKirilov Před 10 lety +69

    haha, I can picture him going to the bank for a loan and when asked if he has any assets he says - "Well, first I have the moon" :D lol

  • @sarcastamusraconteur6881
    @sarcastamusraconteur6881 Před 8 lety +113

    "i'm actually the wealthiest person on the planet" ............"in theory". i busted a gut

    • @Noast
      @Noast Před 8 lety +2

      The more land you own the wealthier you are

    • @moneysoles5185
      @moneysoles5185 Před 4 lety +1

      Sarcastamus Raconteur I busted a nut

    • @seanedwardfitz
      @seanedwardfitz Před 3 lety +1

      Maybe on the Moon. 😂
      The bloke is a con artist.

    • @calmgoodfire4662
      @calmgoodfire4662 Před 3 lety

      @@seanedwardfitz and not a very sneaky one like damm people be buying literal nothing

  • @911madza
    @911madza Před 4 lety +37

    As the principle goes: "Everything is allowed that is not forbidden"

    • @aery2053
      @aery2053 Před 2 lety

      Can an individual buy land on moon?
      But, is it possible to buy a plot of land on the Moon that all of us crave? The answer is no. That's because, in 1967, the Soviet Union, the United States and the United Kingdom had come up with an international treaty, called the Outer Space Treaty, to prevent "a new form of colonial competition".

  • @digitauxesque
    @digitauxesque Před 5 lety +56

    The most effective snake-oil salesman is the one who tricks himself.
    Great video, Simon!

    • @woodennickel6148
      @woodennickel6148 Před 9 měsíci

      You are doing a great job, Mr. Hope.
      The birthday party world is ready for you to conquer with your ventriloquism act, Sir.
      #MIB⛎

  • @maxmillermakesmusic
    @maxmillermakesmusic Před 11 lety +22

    "I think outside the box- actually, now I'm thinking outside the planet."

  • @JuGgala22
    @JuGgala22 Před 11 lety +20

    "I sent them some crazy delusional paper bout owning the moon and they didnt get back to me"

  • @tedlemoine5587
    @tedlemoine5587 Před 8 lety +196

    people are fools and this man is a genius

    • @youracreep3838
      @youracreep3838 Před 5 lety +25

      Yea... A genius in owning a moon he has never set foot on.

    • @Phelan666
      @Phelan666 Před 3 lety +13

      This man is a sociopath and a criminal and belongs in prison.

    • @mykeva1
      @mykeva1 Před 3 lety +9

      Sadly the only way to think he is a genius is to be slightly more stupid than him.

    • @logane6508
      @logane6508 Před 3 lety

      couldnt have said it any better myself

    • @bionecktide
      @bionecktide Před 2 lety +2

      @@youracreep3838 He is selling something even he doesn't own & people are too stupid to think they own moon land 😂

  • @nadiadurand7845
    @nadiadurand7845 Před 4 lety +12

    He must not be the first person to do this because i found in one of my past home's attic, deeds to land on the moon dating back to the fifties.

  • @djko_kane
    @djko_kane Před 5 lety +12

    I’ve laughed myself out of breath!!! 😂😂😂😂

  • @eyevisualz1767
    @eyevisualz1767 Před 4 lety +12

    I like his sense of humour 😭😭

  • @fukhue8226
    @fukhue8226 Před 5 lety +13

    The Moral of this story is if your Scam is a funny one it gets overlooked as just for fun. He has a disclaimer @ 3:05 that reads "This is a novel gift". Pretty smart. Just another way to fly under the radar if they try to prosecute him later by insisting the clients all knew it was a joke and having proof. Good job Dennis. Looks like you have all your bases covered.

    • @thedestinyoracle3456
      @thedestinyoracle3456 Před rokem +2

      wll you he has but you have to ask if he is upseting no one and evre ome he sell to is happy and geting fun out of it is it a scam

    • @Swerveychamp
      @Swerveychamp Před 10 měsíci +1

      Why isn't he in jail for this yet?? Who ft sold the man the sun???

  • @HenryMcPherson
    @HenryMcPherson Před 11 lety +14

    I say good on him! He has a lot of entrepreneurial spirit.

  • @lucasvelez5955
    @lucasvelez5955 Před 6 lety +50

    4:08 that piece of paper killed me XD

  • @Heavy_Distortion
    @Heavy_Distortion Před 5 lety +22

    $1.51 lunar tax. haha! Paid to the UFO response team at the UN.

  • @syk0saje
    @syk0saje Před 11 lety +5

    i lost it at "I DON'T SEE A LOOPHOLE" XD

  • @GriefOfShadow
    @GriefOfShadow Před 11 lety +13

    lol did he try saying there are alien embassies? hahaha 4:20

  • @netsight
    @netsight Před 8 lety +10

    4:15 lol I wonder if he'll throw in a pair of tinfoil hats too~!! :)~ background music's all to perfect for this piece.

  • @mdtausifzaman4120
    @mdtausifzaman4120 Před 3 lety +3

    He thought out of the box literally 😂😂😂😂😂😂

  • @MrSuperJaskirat
    @MrSuperJaskirat Před 10 lety +22

    I sell the moon.
    ........okay?
    I am approved by the UN.
    ..........okay?
    I have legal issues with the sun.
    .......... da heck?
    I drew a city on a ripped notecard
    ............-_-
    I charge 24 bux
    .............XD
    SIDENOTE: A DEAN LINDSAY ALREADY CLAIMED THE MOON IN 1930s

  • @roadkillmoth5610
    @roadkillmoth5610 Před 4 lety +3

    This man's Gru cosplay is about to be epic.

  • @leroyjenkins1568
    @leroyjenkins1568 Před 3 lety +2

    This guy selling people a dream not real estate , he said to a buyer enjoy the property like they are there lol

  • @DanielFernandez
    @DanielFernandez Před 3 lety +3

    "Artist Rendering" I died

  • @jazietee565
    @jazietee565 Před 11 lety +8

    hahaha this man is a crazy genius!

  • @leeo268
    @leeo268 Před 11 lety +2

    He even admit his buyers don't believe this, but they still buy it... Human Mind never cease to amaze me.

  • @notexactlypaul
    @notexactlypaul Před 11 lety +3

    "Artist's Rendering" LOL

  • @noellethomas2589
    @noellethomas2589 Před 5 lety +7

    I claimed Pluto. Does that count for anything?
    Edit: We're both in Nevada. That says a lot

  • @thesydol
    @thesydol Před 11 lety +2

    This is by far one of the best videos in the wooooorld...including the moon! He's actually dead serious about this...his straight face is classic!! hahahahahaha.
    I am coming to this video anytime i need a laugh!!!

  • @seth_sesu
    @seth_sesu Před 11 lety +2

    "I'm not the brightest person in the block" lolz... indeed

  • @ThatStarkKid
    @ThatStarkKid Před 11 lety +5

    This is awesome. Who knew space property was being sold?

  • @belougalamasse4077
    @belougalamasse4077 Před 6 lety +6

    i'm in touch with non terrestrial government , but i can't talk about it ^^

  • @pjperlitz11
    @pjperlitz11 Před 6 lety +3

    You see how he looked at it at the end "yeah, thats my moon"

  • @smaragd_
    @smaragd_ Před 11 lety +2

    This is just crazy. And he is not a lunatic, he is a GENIUS. :)

  • @claytonbertke425
    @claytonbertke425 Před 4 lety +2

    My dad has a lunar deed paper hanging in a case I’ve always wondered what it was

  • @icerook1560
    @icerook1560 Před 3 lety +1

    Lol. Imagine when the time come and you show them you own the property a landing pad is going to built on, the laughter that would follow is a "novelty"

  • @artmonkey4047
    @artmonkey4047 Před 11 lety

    love this guy

  • @generaldom
    @generaldom Před 11 lety +3

    It'd be hilarious if the U.S. started charging him property taxes (like a trillion dollars a year) and he had to declare bankruptcy.

  • @shrvansudhakar7514
    @shrvansudhakar7514 Před 4 lety +1

    between confidence and overconfidence there is a thick line.

  • @IBeExtraCool
    @IBeExtraCool Před 11 lety +1

    LMAO at the smart ass response to Ridley Pop claiming ownership to the Sun. I give him a lot of credit for that.

  • @rytrusministry
    @rytrusministry Před 3 lety +1

    The moon is only a light 🤣🤣🤣🤣

  • @FinallyGotATubeName
    @FinallyGotATubeName Před 11 lety

    Yup I agree that that was by far the most erm informative statement he made.

  • @AnthonyOnaf
    @AnthonyOnaf Před 11 lety

    So I just cover my eyes and go like this .... hahahahaha @3:15

  • @streetfighter6945
    @streetfighter6945 Před 5 lety +5

    I thought neil armstrong owned the moon😂he is the first man on there isnt he lol

  • @aakk4568
    @aakk4568 Před 3 lety +2

    Lol this is like calling dibs on a bunch of girls then selling marriage certificates to anyone who wants to marry them.

  • @vivekcome98
    @vivekcome98 Před 4 lety

    Amazing

  • @sanjugeorge6058
    @sanjugeorge6058 Před 6 lety +8

    he calls his head "THE MOON" and he says that he owns it 😂😂🤣

  • @TheWoodfinger
    @TheWoodfinger Před 11 lety +3

    He is stealing my property!

  • @GlitteredStorytime
    @GlitteredStorytime Před 11 lety +1

    Genius in the house!!!

  • @96RJL
    @96RJL Před 10 lety +2

    Why do these people not understand that because the UN doesn't say no doesn't by default mean yes.

  • @PowersOfTau
    @PowersOfTau Před 2 lety

    5:15
    `we don't want your energy, please turn it off` 😆😆

  • @alexchuprin695
    @alexchuprin695 Před 11 lety

    O.M.G. Brilliant!

  • @server1ok
    @server1ok Před 6 lety +2

    Even if he is a scam artist, the combined registration of his Company + the owners who pay for land and registration fees ( and tax ) has some legal validity that is higher than zero. The more people who register, the higher the validity will become.

    • @Darknesssleeps
      @Darknesssleeps Před 2 lety +1

      That’s literally NOT how that works…

    • @server1ok
      @server1ok Před 2 lety

      @@Darknesssleeps Elon Musk is worth 300 B, net. Lets say that Elon pays Dennis a Billion USD for his roster of people with worthless Land Claims on the Moon. 1 B is nothing for Elon but a the top of the World price for this registry. Lets further argue that a hundred years from now, Elons registry of the Moon will have some value to our great grandchildren if the registry gets incorporated into SpaceX. This is a far fetched string of events, but it can never be ruled out as zero possibility. People were buying this Land as a fun thing to talk about at work. The immediate value is zero, but there is a potential value that is non zero. You can never know where the registry will end up. The fact that the registry is made up of US consumers and Citizens has some value in itself. The entire value of CZcams, Twitch etc. has been built from similar rosters of ( primarily ) US consumers. Similar kinds of network effects have the raw power to propel Humanity into Space, regardless of the initial intention.. In other words, don't underestimate the power of Dreams

    • @bernardtorres5646
      @bernardtorres5646 Před 9 měsíci

      ​@@Darknesssleeps😂😂🤦🏽🤦🏽 I can't wtf

  • @antimatter13
    @antimatter13 Před 11 lety +1

    sight unseen.

  • @sagarsingh2342
    @sagarsingh2342 Před 3 lety +2

    Have you ever been to the moon my friend.....you wouldn't last even a minute on it.......he should be sent there first

  • @Hasnain4554
    @Hasnain4554 Před 4 lety +2

    Hahaha who allowed you first of all to sell the moon property

  • @MassDynamic
    @MassDynamic Před 3 lety +1

    a quick wikipedia: "However, Article VI of this treaty states "The activities of non-governmental entities in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, shall require authorization and continuing supervision by the appropriate State Party to the Treaty." Thus, while it does not explicitly prohibit such schemes, the treaty does require they be authorized by the schemers' government."

    • @frumentarii376
      @frumentarii376 Před rokem

      Well since he got a copyright on the grid processing and was approved back in 1980 by the US claims folk and got an award from Congress in 2003 for selling property on the moon, I would say that is approval from the United States government

    • @fennoman9241
      @fennoman9241 Před měsícem

      @@frumentarii376UN moon treaty article 11, tough luck.

  • @umarabdulaziz445
    @umarabdulaziz445 Před 2 lety +1

    Imagine you have a land on earth,then some random alien from other planet claim that land is belong to them

  • @vsggl
    @vsggl Před 11 lety +2

    Actually, in international law the moon and other objects in space are seen as "common heritage to all mankind." So in fact, if you buy a piece of the moon from this genius, you buy something that is already yours.

  • @DanielBarbosa-fu9sc
    @DanielBarbosa-fu9sc Před 2 lety +1

    I read on google that he placed 23 celestial reserves. That is interesting to me bc I saw 23 strange lights on the moon going by at the same distance in the same direction one time, and keep on wondering what it was

  • @Sreeharisadasivan
    @Sreeharisadasivan Před 2 lety

    MY MAN IS THE GREATEST TRICKSTER EVER

  • @marklee81
    @marklee81 Před 11 lety +2

    If he really owns the moon, he probably has a lot of unpaid property taxes...

  • @anthonys4326
    @anthonys4326 Před 8 lety +11

    wow, I owned the Moon since 1977. he is selling my property. or that's what he thinks!

  • @champgonzo
    @champgonzo Před 11 lety

    Yea, I just saw it last night.

  • @harrywilliams9804
    @harrywilliams9804 Před 5 lety +1

    How do I get in touch with this man

  • @Phelan666
    @Phelan666 Před 3 lety +3

    Look at that, a genuine *lunatic*. Good luck enforcing the claim.

  • @WithLaraCroft
    @WithLaraCroft Před 11 lety +1

    what kind of genius is that? can you sell something that does not belong to you? this is madness

  • @Jaychan88
    @Jaychan88 Před 11 lety

    He may be crazy, but hes ballin so, props!

  • @marin3777
    @marin3777 Před 3 lety

    Best idea in history of the universe!

  • @anejaG55
    @anejaG55 Před 4 lety +1

    best comedy movie ever.

  • @j.pocket
    @j.pocket Před 5 lety +1

    "let him who wishes to be deceived, be deceived."
    it's a maxim of law, a synopsis of the american dream, and a damned fine slogan for celestial real estate companies.

  • @Tekrith
    @Tekrith Před 11 lety

    When I'm sat on the porch of my moon property, with a space rifle in my hand and some dirty bag alien comes along, you bet we'll be in ye olde days. I'm gunna be a space cowboy baby. XD

  • @MarkmBha
    @MarkmBha Před 11 lety

    You seem to be one of the people who know this is fact!
    Congratulations.

  • @jaykkkaykios5111
    @jaykkkaykios5111 Před 6 lety +1

    How can you sell something when you dont even own it yourself, sigh?

  • @TheAirheaded1
    @TheAirheaded1 Před 11 lety

    I will take the lot next to the lake!

  • @Twoguysandoneconsole
    @Twoguysandoneconsole Před 11 lety

    Lets go to Uranus I hear the weathers nice and tight

  • @amerfilmstudios9292
    @amerfilmstudios9292 Před rokem

    Elon laughed 😂🤣so hard 🤭😅

  • @omega4chimp
    @omega4chimp Před 11 lety

    Why cause spelt something wrong?Begalow aerospace i think its called can build like habitats on the moon but its pretty expansive.

  • @yahyazouine8982
    @yahyazouine8982 Před 2 lety +1

    Whoooo payed him ????? Wtf lmaoooo

  • @howl13
    @howl13 Před 11 lety +5

    scamming at it finest~

  • @BillyInnes
    @BillyInnes Před 11 lety

    Puts whole new meaning to. I have a bridge u want to buy it

  • @ivanos560
    @ivanos560 Před 11 lety +1

    of couse this guys ia from USA . great message for the world

  • @bobs8005
    @bobs8005 Před rokem

    4:06 hahahaha

  • @cand221
    @cand221 Před 11 lety

    hahaha we don't want your energy. Genius

  • @93MickyD2
    @93MickyD2 Před 11 lety +1

    Did you create the land you live on at the moment?

  • @b_to_the_b
    @b_to_the_b Před 4 lety +1

    He’s a scammer, He doesn’t have the ownership of the land and is also a criminal

  • @PieceOfMind56
    @PieceOfMind56 Před 11 lety +1

    I found this oddly beautiful.

  • @davesworld7961
    @davesworld7961 Před 3 lety

    I wrote the UN and asked if I could own the oceans. They didn't respond. Yaaay!!

  • @stijnvanhalen3196
    @stijnvanhalen3196 Před 11 lety +2

    4:12 Does he really claim that he had talked to aliens?

  • @AdamMaslinLowrance
    @AdamMaslinLowrance Před 11 lety +1

    4:18 "The pyramid that we are building will have embassies for every government on this planet, including some of the non Earth-based governments that we are in touch with occasionally, which I can't speak about too much, but they are here, they are in existence. They'll have embassies there as well."

  • @warhammer40kloadup
    @warhammer40kloadup Před 11 lety

    Genius.

  • @oh_knee7173
    @oh_knee7173 Před 2 lety

    The "Moon Agreement"
    Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies
    Adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 34/68, opened for signature on 18 December 1979, entered into force on 11 July 1984.

  • @triathl33t
    @triathl33t Před 11 lety

    What is scary for me is how many sales this video would have generated for him...

  • @THawk413
    @THawk413 Před 11 lety

    After reading some of the comments here, it's clear most people have no idea how taxes work.

  • @meeblings6
    @meeblings6 Před 10 lety +1

    Well only 15 countries signed The Outer Space Treaty..

  • @singhsingh3449
    @singhsingh3449 Před 5 lety +1

    He is missing electric chair

  • @VagueMan
    @VagueMan Před 11 lety +1

    well i don't recognize it's yours to give! i say it's mine and i'm giving YOU free universe!