Jared Isaacman: Billionaire Entrepreneur, Astronaut, and Trump's Choice to Lead NASA

Donald Trump has put forth Jared Isaacman, an accomplished astronaut and entrepreneur himself, as the new chief of NASA. According to the president-elect, Isaacman has exhibited extraordinary leadership in the private sector and has shown great interest in space travel. "He is perhaps best known as the founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments," Trump said about Isaacman, adding that he has extensive experience in aerospace and defense.

"I am delighted to nominate Jared Isaacman, an accomplished business leader, philanthropist, pilot, and astronaut, as Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa)," Trump said in his post. "Jared will drive NASA's mission of discovery and inspiration, paving the way for groundbreaking achievements in Space science, technology, and exploration."

"Over the past 25 years, as the Founder and CEO of Shift4, Jared has demonstrated exceptional leadership, building a trailblazing global financial technology company. He also co-founded and served as CEO of Draken International, a defense aerospace company, for over a decade, supporting the US Department of Defense, and our Allies," the post added.

Trump praised Isaacman’s “exceptional leadership” for transforming Shift4 Payments into a leading global financial technology company, calling him a visionary capable of steering NASA into a new era of space exploration.

With regard to this, Isaacman's nomination occurs at a time when Trump makes preparations for assuming office again on January 20, 2025, coincidental with other plans of the former president's to discharge his duties once more.

Who is Jared Isaacman? 

Founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments: Isaacman started the payment processing client, which now processes payments for big names like Hilton and KFC, at 16 years of age.

Billionaire Entrepreneur: According to Forbes, Isaacman's net worth is about $1.9 billion, and his company handles in excess of $260 billion of transactions every year.

Aerospace: Isaacman started Draken International, which provides military jet training to the US Air Force, plus a world record for the fastest flight around the globe in a light jet.

Space Adventurer: In 2023, he would become the first nonprofessionally trained astronaut ever to walk in space during the Polaris Dawn mission, and additionally financed the first all-civilian spaceflight-the Inspiration4 mission.