As 18-year-old Oliver Daemon blasted off into space with Jeff Bezos onboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket Tuesday, the teenager had some deep pockets to thank for the once-in-a-lifetime ride. Given the $28 million price tag, many are wondering how the young Daemon afforded the space flight. As it turns out, have a lot of money certainly runs in the family.
The Family Business
Meet Joes Daemon, Oliver’s father and the CEO and founder of Somerset Capital Partners, a successful private equity fund. The real estate mogul was born in the Netherlands and graduated from the University of Wageningen where he earned his Masters of Science degree in economics and marketing.
After college, Joes headed straight into the financial sector working as a stockbroker, where he gained valuable experience. He then decided to start his own private equity firm, securing his reputation in the industry and paving the way for his hedge fund, Somerset Capital Partners.
Joes is married to Eline Daemen Dekker, an ambassador at Somerset Capital, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing. Dekker has also been known to volunteer for elderly folks struggling with loneliness and has served as a cabin crew member for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines in the past.
An anonymous winner had originally secured a ticket on Bezos’ New Shepard rocket after entering a $28 million raffle but was unable to fly due to scheduling conflicts. As to what could be more important than a history-making rocket launch is beyond anyone’s guess, but the fluke unwittingly secured Oliver his seat on the space flight.
On Tuesday, Oliver Daemon became the youngest person to ever travel into space. The historic 11-minute flight is only the latest headline in an ongoing space race between Bezos, Richard Branson, and Tesla-owner Elon Musk.
Joes Daemon’s Net Worth
Since Joes’ company is privately held, it can be difficult to speculate his exact wealth, though his net worth has been estimated between $500 million and $1.5 billion. The fact that Joes has the disposable income to purchase a $28 million space flight for his son certainly indicates his wealth to be pretty significant, obviously.
