Elon Musk promises to donate $50 million to the Inspiration4 fundraiser for a children's hospital, helping it smash its $200 million goal

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Elon Musk promises to donate $50 million to the Inspiration4 fundraiser for a children's hospital, helping it smash its $200 million goal
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Hannibal Hanschke Pool / Getty Images
  • Elon Musk pledged to donate millions for a fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
  • The goal of the Inspiration4 spaceflight by Musk's company, SpaceX, was to raise $200 million.
  • "Count me in for $50M," Musk said in a tweet on Saturday.
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Elon Musk vowed to donate $50 million to SpaceX's Inspiration4 fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

"Count me in for $50M," Musk said in a tweet on Saturday upon the crew's re-entry back to Earth.

The main goal of the Inspiration4 mission was to raise $200 million for St. Jude, where one of the crew members works as a physician assistant.

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The fundraiser had raised $160 million before Musk pledged to contribute to the campaign.

The historic Insipiration4 launched Wednesday evening from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

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It had four people on board: Jared Isaacman, a billionaire businessman; Hayley Arceneaux, a physician assistant and childhood cancer survivor; Chris Sembroski, an Air Force veteran; and Dr. Sian Proctor, a geoscientist and science communication specialist.

Isaacman, commander of the spaceflight, donated $100 million to St. Jude. The mission had raised another $60.2 million before Musk's pledge surpassed the goal, raising the total to more than $210 million, CNBC reported.

Following his donation, the crew expressed their gratitude toward Musk on Twitter.

"This brings tears to my eyes. Thank you @elonmusk for this generous donation toward our $200 million dollar fundraising goal for @StJude!!!" said Arceneaux.

As Insider's Kate Duffy reported, the crew will auction off items they took on their three-day trip around the Earth to further raise money for the hospital. These include a ukulele, artwork, and NFTs.

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