SpaceX's First Private Spaceflight Commander Is a High School Dropout Billionaire

▲Jared Izekman

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Jared Isaacman (37), who will lead the crew of SpaceX's civilian spaceflight 'Inspiration4,' a milestone in the history of global aerospace, is reported to be a high school dropout entrepreneur, CNBC reported on the 7th (local time).

Scheduled by SpaceX for the fourth quarter of this year, 'Inspiration4' is the first spaceflight composed entirely of four civilian crew members, and it is also promoting a $200 million fundraising campaign for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which conducts pediatric cancer eradication efforts.

In an interview with CNBC on the same day, Isaacman said, "I decided to travel to space when I was five years old," adding, "This spaceflight will be the first step toward a world where everyone can embark on adventures to space."

He did not mention the cost. However, he added, "When I think about this space trip, I believe it is not a huge expense."

Isaacman also introduced Inspiration4 through a 30-second TV commercial aired during the Super Bowl game that day.

He is the founder and CEO of the payment processing company 'Shift4 Payments' and is a billionaire with assets worth $2.3 billion (about 2.5 trillion KRW).

In his teenage years, he earned money by repairing computers, dropped out of high school, and joined the payment processing company MSI. During this process, to meet his parents' demand for a high school diploma, he took the GED and later earned a college degree.

After working at MSI for six months, he started 'United Bank Card,' the predecessor of Shift4 Payments, with $10,000 given by his grandfather.

He successfully took his company, Shift4 Payments, public in June last year.

He also holds the world record for the shortest time to fly around the world, having completed a global flight in 62 hours in 2009 aboard a Cessna Citation C2J.

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, praised Isaacman as "a pioneer" at the announcement of the Inspiration4 plan on the 1st, saying, "When a new form of transportation emerges, there are always pioneers."

The Inspiration4 crew consists of Isaacman, one donor to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, one pediatric cancer survivor, and one Shift4 Payments customer.

They will undergo several months of training from SpaceX on spacecraft operation and emergency preparedness before boarding the spacecraft 'Dragon' to orbit the Earth.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.