Paul & Shark CEO Andrea Dini paid $20,000 for a zero-gravity experience

Andrea Dini, CEO and President of Italian fashion brand Paul & Shark, is looking for an "out-of-the-world experience" this year.
The third-generation of the family to lead the company, Dini has enlisted himself for Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic project. Branson's venture aims to fly passengers to space for a few minutes of zero-gravity experience.

Dini, who spent $20,000 as down payment, says the space plane was to take off last year. "Unfortunately, I heard that there was some problem with the aircraft's engine and the project has been further delayed," he tells ETPanache during his India visit last month. "I was told that the total ticket will be between $100,000 and $150,000."

And what happens if the project fails to take off? "To be very honest, I didn't read the fine print very carefully, especially the part about the refunds," Dini says with a laugh.

Even though Dini has never met Branson, he is an admirer of the businessman. "He is a genius when it comes to marketing," says Dini. "I think it all comes down to creating a lot of goodwill for yourself and the brand, which he has managed to do fantastically. If you notice, his brands have a very feel-good factor and are widely liked by everyone, even by people who don't use his services."