Jared Isaacman is first non-professional astronaut to walk in space on Polaris Dawn Mission

American entrepreneur and billionaire Jared Isaacman made history on Thursday as the first non-professional astronaut to walk in space. The 41-year-old, who is worth an estimated $1.9bn (£1.46bn), bankrolled the Polaris Dawn mission, which launched him and three others into space aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.

Isaacman, founder of payment processing company Shift4 Payments, began his entrepreneurial journey at 16 when he launched the company from his parents’ basement. Today, Shift4 handles payments for a third of U.S. restaurants and hotels, including major brands like Hilton, KFC, and Arby’s, processing over $260bn (£199bn) annually.

His passion for aviation began in 2004 when he took his first pilot lessons. He later set a world record for circumnavigating the globe in a light jet. Stepping into space for the first time on Thursday, Isaacman reflected on the view: “Back at home, we all have a lot of work to do. But from here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world.”

SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis, also part of the Polaris Dawn mission, completed a spacewalk following Isaacman’s return to the spacecraft. Gillis, a violinist-turned-aerospace-engineer, serves as the mission specialist for Polaris Dawn.

This mission marks Isaacman’s second space adventure. In 2021, he bankrolled and led Inspiration4, the first private, all-civilian crew to orbit Earth. That crew spent three days in space aboard a SpaceX capsule before successfully splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean. Time magazine estimated that Isaacman paid $200m (£153m) for the mission, which he described as “just the beginning.”

Born in Union, New Jersey, Isaacman showed early signs of entrepreneurial drive. At 15, he dropped out of high school and earned his GED, bypassing traditional education to focus on building his business. Forbes reported that Shift4 Payments now processes transactions for major hospitality brands across the U.S.

In addition to Shift4, Isaacman founded Draken International, a defense firm that owns the world’s largest fleet of private military aircraft and trains U.S. Air Force pilots. He sold a majority stake in Draken to Blackstone in 2019 for a nine-figure sum, propelling him to billionaire status.

Known for his thrill-seeking nature, Isaacman is no stranger to adventure. In 2009, he set a world speed record for flying around the globe, and according to Forbes, he regularly flies fighter jets like the MiG at supersonic speeds to unwind from his intense 80-hour workweeks.

Isaacman, who lives in New Jersey with his wife and two daughters, says he believes in living life to the fullest. “To the extent you have the means to do so, you have this obligation to live life to the fullest. You never know when it’s going to be your last day,” he shared in the Netflix docuseries Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space. Isaacman and his crew are expected to return from their space mission on Saturday.