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President-elect Donald Trump has selected Jared Isaacman to lead NASA.
“Jared will drive NASA’s mission of discovery and inspiration, paving the way for groundbreaking achievements in Space science, technology and exploration,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “… Jared’s passion for Space, astronaut experience, and dedication to pushing the boundaries of exploration, unlocking the mysteries of the universe, and advancing the new Space economy, make him ideally suited to lead NASA into a bold new Era.”
Learn more about the nominee and his financial standing below.
Who Is Jared Isaacman?
Isaacman, 41, is the founder and CEO of Shift4, a payment processing company. Beyond his business ventures, he is also an accomplished pilot and space enthusiast who has traveled to space twice.
In September 2021, Isaacman made headlines by commanding the Inspiration4 mission, a SpaceX Crew Dragon flight that launched four civilians into orbit for three days. In 2022, he partnered with Elon Musk and SpaceX to fund and launch the Polaris Program, a series of three private spaceflights aimed at testing technologies and maneuvers for exploration beyond Earth’s orbit.
Isaacman, along with three other crew members, embarked on the first of these missions—Polaris Dawn—in September 2022. The five-day mission included the first-ever all-civilian spacewalk. Isaacman personally funded both the Inspiration4 and Polaris programs, though the exact amount he invested has not been disclosed.
What Is Isaacman’s Net Worth?
According to Forbes, Isaacman’s net worth is estimated at $1.7 billion.
How Did Isaacman Build His Wealth?
At 16, Isaacman left high school in New Jersey to earn his GED and secured a job at a credit card processing firm called Merchant Services, Inc. Not long after, he decided to start his own competing company, which he launched from his parents’ basement in 1999 and would later be named Shift4.
In addition to Shift4, Isaacman founded Draken International in 2011, a defense contractor that trains Air Force pilots and operates the world’s largest private fleet of military aircraft. In 2019, Isaacman sold a majority stake in Draken to the Wall Street firm Blackstone for a nine-figure sum.
Is Isaacman Married?
Isaacman is married to Monica (née Chacana). The couple has been together for nearly 20 years, though they didn’t marry until around 2012. They grew up in the same town and attended the same middle school, with Monica eventually becoming the 12th employee at Isaacman’s company, Shift4.
Speaking about his wife, Isaacman once said, “Monica gets it. She knows exactly what I do in life: I work.”
Does Isaacman Have Kids?
The couple welcomed their first child, Mila, in 2014, followed by their second daughter, Liv. Jared often shares glimpses of his life with his daughters on social media.
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