Robert was not born into wealth, but he was never poor either. His hard-working middle class merchant parents emphasized the benefits of knowledge, curiosity, and hard work. He always enjoyed finding new places and new experiences, but never forgot that trade benefited everybody. Seeking out new places while also finding new markets satisfied his wanderlust while giving the satisfaction of finding new markets.

Mining, in particular, appealed to both aspects. Finding a new pristine asteroid belt or ringed planet to harvest materials from was always appealing. If the new site was in a system filled with celestial wonders, even better.