A billionaire and clothing CEO has issued a $3 billion offer to one lucky flat Earther.
The CEO of the Columbia Sportswear Company has just presented flat Earth believers with what he's calling the opportunity of a lifetime.
The company was started by Tim Boyle's grandparents after they emigrated from Germany, beginning as the Columbia Hat Company before evolving into the outdoor gear giant it is today.
Boyle, whose net worth hovers around $1.6 billion, announced that he'll hand over his family's $3 billion outdoor apparel empire to anyone who can photograph the edge of our supposedly flat planet.
Advert
The announcement forms part of Columbia's latest advertising campaign dubbed 'Expedition Impossible.' The promotional video shows Boyle touring the company's Oregon headquarters, promising that everything inside would belong to the victor.
"This message is for flat Earthers," he addressed. "You guys claim there's an end to the Earth. Well, just go snap a picture, send it to us, and you get the assets of the company. All of it. No paperwork, no lawyers, no catches."
Humans figured out Earth was round over 2,000 years ago. Long before space travel existed, observations like watching ships disappear over the horizon or seeing Earth's round shadow during a lunar eclipse, made this clear proved it.
Modern technology has only provided more evidence, with satellites and spacecraft capturing countless images of our spherical planet from space.
Yet flat Earth believers dismiss the evidence from scientific institutions like NASA and government bodies, regarding it as part of an elaborate, ongoing conspiracy designed to hide the 'truth.'
The contemporary flat Earth movement traces back to 19th-century England and Samuel Rowbotham, who published 'Zetetic Astronomy' in 1849 using the pen name 'Parallax.' He claimed Earth was a flat disc and established the Zetetic Society to promote his views.
Rowbotham's ideas are based on pseudoscience, such as the Bedford Level experiment, which gained new followers through organisations like the Universal Zetetic Society after his death.
A man claiming to be Boyle's lawyer appeared in the ad to explain the terms of Columbia's offer.
Columbia has actually established 'The Company, LLC,' which the fashion corporation notes possesses assets worth $100,000. So a lucky flat Earther could still claim a pretty hefty reward.
But shortcuts won't be accepted as Boyle added that they're looking for 'a visible, physical end to the planet Earth' which qualifies as 'the edge of the Earth.'
Acceptable evidence might include an endless vertical drop, a void-like abyss, or clouds that stretch infinitely.
"Hey, flat Earthers, do me a favour. If you're going to the edge of the Earth, wear Colombia. You'll need it. Best of luck," the billionaire chairman concluded.