>> amazing human taking time answering rando emails from the internet.
Life tip: Most people will do that if your email is about something they are interested in and (most importantly) they have time. Celebrities are usually off the table (no time for all the fan email), but this guy is "just" a retired engineer who made a big product and a lot of money. You were also asking about some side interest of his, so I would almost expect a response.
Be polite and fairly concise (brief, they don't need your life story out the gate) on a topic of interest to them and most people will respond positively.
>is "just" a retired engineer who made a big product and a lot of money.
Gernerally those 2 go hand in hand. You make something well known and they get dozens of emails a day about advice, business deals, the usual spam, and more.
Life tip: Most people will do that if your email is about something they are interested in and (most importantly) they have time. Celebrities are usually off the table (no time for all the fan email), but this guy is "just" a retired engineer who made a big product and a lot of money. You were also asking about some side interest of his, so I would almost expect a response.
Be polite and fairly concise (brief, they don't need your life story out the gate) on a topic of interest to them and most people will respond positively.