Woman Claims Ownership of the Sun, Cites Space Loophole and Plans To Charge the World for Solar Power Use

Imagine waking up one morning to discover that you might owe someone money simply for enjoying a sunny day.

That was the bizarre idea behind a claim that made headlines years ago and is now resurfacing: Spanish woman Angeles Durán declared herself the owner of the Sun in 2010 and said she wanted to charge people and businesses for using its energy.

Durán, who was 49 at the time, reportedly went to a notary public in Spain and had a document drawn up declaring her the owner of the Sun, described in the document as a G2-type star located at the centre of the solar system.

The unusual story quickly attracted international attention, with reports jokingly suggesting that humanity might soon have to start paying for sunshine.

How Did She Claim To Own the Sun?

Durán's argument centred on what she believed was a loophole in international space law.

She had reportedly read about American businessman Dennis Hope, who claimed ownership of the Moon and other celestial bodies. Durán reasoned that if someone else could make such a claim, there was apparently nothing stopping her from doing the same with the Sun.

She argued that the 1967 Outer Space Treaty prevented countries from claiming celestial bodies but did not explicitly prevent individuals from doing so. She subsequently registered her claim with a notary.

However, the existence of a notarised document did not mean that Durán had obtained internationally recognised property rights over the Sun.

Legal analysis published at the time pointed out that the Outer Space Treaty also prevents private individuals from claiming ownership of celestial bodies. Discover Magazine described her interpretation as legally unsupported.

She Wanted To Charge People for Using Sunlight

Durán's plans did not stop at simply declaring herself the Sun's owner.

She said she wanted to charge people and companies that benefited from the Sun, particularly those using solar energy. Reports at the time said she planned to distribute the money among several causes.

According to contemporary reports, she proposed giving half of the proceeds to the Spanish government, with another 20 per cent going towards the country's pension system. She also planned to allocate portions towards research and ending world hunger, while keeping 10 per cent for herself.

Her reasoning was that if companies could make money from natural resources such as rivers, she questioned why solar energy should be treated differently.

The Internet Reacts

The absurdity of her claim did not escape scrutiny, particularly on Reddit, where her claims continue to go viral. One user jokingly said that if she owned the Sun, she should be ready for the biggest collective lawsuit in mankind's history, as the Sun causes ailments such as skin cancer.

A user from the UK, who recently experienced one of the hottest summers ever, also said: 'The UK would like to have a word with her about last summer.'

Despite the sensational headlines, there was never a genuine transfer of ownership of the Sun to Durán. The notarial document recorded her declaration, but it did not create an internationally enforceable property right. Legal experts cited at the time said the Outer Space Treaty prevented individuals from simply claiming celestial bodies as private property.

That distinction is important because the story has continued to circulate online in a simplified form, often claiming that a Spanish woman 'legally owns the Sun.' In reality, Durán claimed ownership and registered that claim, but she did not obtain a legally recognised right to the Sun or its energy.