Richard Garriott: Video Gaming Pioneer to Extreme Explorer

In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, host Richard Wiese interviews Richard Garriott, a real-life explorer, entrepreneur, and video game legend. As the son of an astronaut, Garriott always had his eyes on space—but his journey took an unconventional path through fantasy, failure, and relentless curiosity.

Garriott recounts how he built one of the first successful computer game empires, funded his own space mission, and became the first second-generation American in space. From exploring the Marianas Trench to collecting haunted artifacts, his life is a mix of science fiction, exploration, and real-world impact. Listeners will hear insights about resilience, creativity, and the future of democratized space travel—plus what it really feels like to look down at Earth from orbit.

This episode is a must-listen for dreamers, gamers, and explorers alike.

This is Life's Tough, Explorers Are Tougher, with your host, Richard Weiss. Scratch the surface of an explorer and you'll find an adventure and a great story. This show is about their tales.

This podcast is a proud supporter of the Explorers Club and the EC50 Initiative. 50 people changing the world that the world needs to know about. For more information, go to explorers.org.