American entrepreneur and billionaire Jared Isaacman made history on Thursday as the first non-professional astronaut to conduct a spacewalk.
The 41-year-old financed the Polaris Dawn mission, which launched him and three other crew members into orbit aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. With an estimated net worth of $1.9 billion (£1.46 billion), Isaacman amassed his wealth through Shift4 Payments, a payment processing company he established at just 16 years old in 1999.
Isaacman’s passion for aviation began in 2004 when he took his first flying lessons, eventually setting a world record for completing a circumnavigation of the globe in a light jet.
During his inaugural spacewalk on Thursday, Isaacman remarked, “Back at home we all have a lot of work to do. But from here Earth sure looks like a perfect world.” Following his return from space, SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis also conducted her own spacewalk. Gillis, who transitioned from being a violinist to an aerospace engineer, serves as the mission specialist for Polaris Dawn.
This latest venture is not Isaacman’s first experience with space travel; in 2021 he led Inspiration4—the inaugural all-civilian crew to orbit Earth—financed entirely by himself. The team launched from Florida aboard a SpaceX capsule and spent three days in orbit before safely returning to Earth via splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. Reports suggest that Isaacman paid around $200 million (£153 million) for all four seats on that historic flight.
“That was quite an adventure for us,” he communicated shortly after landing back then. “We’re just getting started.”
Born in Union, New Jersey, Mr. Isaacman has always been known for challenging norms and pushing limits since childhood. At age 15, he opted out of high school by taking the GED exam instead of completing four years of traditional education—a decision highlighted in Netflix’s docuseries Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space.
“I was not good at school,” Mr. Isaacman admitted during the series’ interviews while expressing dissatisfaction with conventional education methods.
Just one year later, he founded Shift4 Payments from his parents’ basement—a venture that has grown significantly over time; it now processes payments for approximately one-third of restaurants and hotels across America including major brands like Hilton and KFC—handling over $260 billion (£199 billion) annually according to its official website.
In addition to Shift4 Payments, Mr. Isaacman established Draken International in 2011—a defense contractor specializing in training Air Force pilots while boasting the largest fleet of private military aircraft globally. In 2019 he sold most shares of Draken International to Blackstone Group for nine figures—an achievement that solidified his status as one of America’s wealthiest individuals.
Described as an adventurous spirit by Forbes magazine during their profile piece published in 2020—Mr.Isaacman’s leisure activities include flying MiG jets faster than sound and climbing mountains after grueling weeks filled with intense work schedules exceeding eighty hours per week.
He also set an impressive speed record back in 2009 when flying around our planet.
In reflecting upon life choices within this docuseries contextually relevant quote emerged: “I believe you only get one shot at life.” He further elaborated saying: “If you have means available then there exists this responsibility towards living fully because tomorrow isn’t guaranteed.”
Isaacman resides with his wife and two daughters near their hometown New Jersey where they await their anticipated return alongside fellow Polaris Dawn crew members scheduled later this Saturday.
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