Somehow, I don't think he'll be fronted the money by a science grant, unless he does what I have seen some very rich do--start their own foundations in order to send themselves on fancy camping trips in the name of "science." Example--paying to go to Antarctica at $50K a pop, searching for a meteorite, not finding one, and writing it off to "charity". Then deduct the cost of the ticket. Is that what Olsen is doing? Does he have a "foundation" that he can write off this ticket to?
I am sure Olsen is fully practiced in the art of transaction costs. He owns his own company and might indeed think of this as not a hobby but an positioning investment to enlarge his credit opportunities. One thing for sure, he was unknown outside his business last week and now he is known worldwide. At 60 he might be just getting started, the next railroad mogul.