Jared Isaacman

Jared Taylor Isaacman (born February 11, 1983) is an American billionaire entrepreneur, pilot, and commercial astronaut. He is the founder and Executive Chairman of Shift4 Payments, a payment processor, and the founder of Draken International, which provides adversary training to the U.S., British, and other NATO air forces. Through his leadership in private spaceflight, Isaacman has been credited with advancing competition in the space industry and reducing reliance on government programs. As of May 2025, his estimated net worth is US$1.4 billion.

Isaacman commanded Inspiration4 – the first all-civilian spaceflight – using SpaceX's Crew Dragon Resilience which launched from Kennedy Space Center on September 16, 2021. He later led Polaris Dawn, during which he became the first private citizen to perform a spacewalk.

In December 2024, President Donald Trump nominated him to serve as the 15th administrator of NASA. During his April 2025 confirmation hearing, Isaacman emphasized his outsider status and entrepreneurial background, stating his intent to usher in a "new Golden Age of Science and Discovery" at the agency. He faced questions over his close ties to Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, one of NASA's largest contractors. On May 31, President Donald Trump, among several actions preceding his feud with Elon Musk, withdrew Isaacman's nomination to serve as NASA Administrator.