The world’s second richest man and his brother will fly to space next month – and will be joined by a super-rich auction winner.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said in an Instagram post that he had dreamed of going to space since he was five, and his brother Mark will be with him.
The voyage will be the first journey undertaken by the billionaire’s rocket company, Blue Origin.
Bezos, who has an estimated net worth of more than $186 billion, wrote: “Ever since I was five years old, I’ve dreamed of traveling to space.
“On July 20th, I will take that journey with my brother.”
(Image: X80001)
In a video posted on social media the businessman said: “I want to go on this flight because it’s the thing I’ve wanted to do all my life.”
Mark Bezos said he was stunned to be invited, saying in a video posted by his brother: “I wasn’t even expecting him to say that he was going to be on the first flight.
“What a remarkable opportunity, not only to have this adventure but to do it with my best friend.”
More than 5,000 people have bid for a place on the rocket – with the highest offer standing at $2.8 million – just under £2 million, according to Blue Origin.
The process will last until June 10 and conclude in a final phase on June 12, with a live online auction.
The company is targeting July 20 for its first suborbital sightseeing trip on its spacecraft, a landmark moment in a competition to usher in a new era of private commercial space travel.