Yuri Milner invests $100 million to find intelligent extraterrestrial life

“What is the greatest question ever asked?” poses Yuri Milner, layering smoked salmon atop toast points.

My palms are sweating. As if the meeting at the Ritz Carlton with one of the most powerful men in the world (for which I was slightly late) wasn’t intimidating enough, the wait for him to join me — during which the hotel staff informed me of his preferred booth — had me more rattled then I’ve ever been for a briefing. “Mr. Milner doesn’t mind that you’re in a t-shirt,” the waiter said to me as I waited. “He cares about what’s up there,” pointing to my head.

And now Milner is putting it to the test.