41-Year-Old Billionaire Who Once Dropped Out of High School Completes Spacewalk

Photo : X / @johnkrausphotos

Jared Isaacman, once a high school dropout living in his parents' basement in New Jersey, has emerged as a tech billionaire and pioneer in space exploration. His extraordinary rise from humble beginnings to achieving the first commercial spacewalk is a testament to his ambition and entrepreneurial spirit.

Last Thursday, Isaacman, accompanied by SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis, made history by venturing into the vacuum of space to test SpaceX's newly designed spacesuits. This event, part of the five-day Polaris Dawn mission, marked the first time that non-professional astronauts from a private company performed a spacewalk, further solidifying Isaacman’s role as a leader in the new frontier of commercial space travel.

Isaacman’s passion for space exploration was ignited early in life. However, before he could achieve his childhood dream of venturing into space, Isaacman first built an empire on Earth.

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At just 16, Isaacman made the bold decision to drop out of high school and pursue his entrepreneurial ambitions. In the basement of his childhood home, with the support of a $10,000 check from his grandfather, he founded Shift4 Payments, a company specializing in payment processing. The early days of his venture were modest—he and his first employees, which included his friend Brendan Lauber and his father, worked with minimal resources, but with a shared vision.

"$10,000 was enough to get started," Isaacman recalled. "You needed a couple of computers, some phones, and that was it." Despite these humble beginnings, Shift4 quickly grew, becoming a leader in the payment processing industry. Today, the company boasts a market value of $7.4 billion and employs over 2,000 people across the United States.

Reflecting on those early days, Isaacman spoke about the sense of camaraderie and excitement in building something new. "One of the best times at a startup is when you’ve got the eight people in the basement eating Chinese food, and everybody shares knowledge, successes, and failures. You learn together,” he said.

Isaacman’s entrepreneurial achievements extended far beyond Shift4. In 2009, he set a world record by flying a Cessna Citation CJ2 around the world in just under 62 hours, breaking the previous record by nearly 20 hours. Three years later, he founded Draken International, a company that provides military pilot training for the U.S. Air Force. Draken grew rapidly, becoming a significant player in the defense industry before Isaacman sold it to Blackstone Group in 2020 for a nine-figure sum, according to Forbes.

But Isaacman’s true passion has always been space exploration. In 2021, he personally funded and commanded Inspiration4, the first all-civilian mission to orbit aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule. This groundbreaking mission set a record for the longest civilian spaceflight, further demonstrating Isaacman’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of human space exploration.

His latest venture, the Polaris Dawn mission, is part of a series of spaceflights aimed at testing new technologies, including spacesuits for future lunar and Mars missions. The successful spacewalk last week represents a significant step in Isaacman’s vision for the future of commercial space travel.

As Isaacman reflected on his journey from a teenage entrepreneur to a space explorer, he expressed gratitude for the opportunities life has given him. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm super lucky in life," he said before the historic spacewalk. "You know, a teenage basement startup, just trying to buy pizza on the weekend, and it’s turned into quite the empire."

Isaacman’s story is one of determination, vision, and an unwavering belief in the power of innovation. From building a billion-dollar business to leading the charge in the new era of space exploration, he continues to break new ground—both on Earth and beyond.

Sept. 16, 2024 10:45 a.m. 594

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