Polaris Dawn Team training for their next mission (Isaacman is the third on the right)
Jared Isaacman is today worth around 1.4 Billion USD his story begins in New Jersey. As a teenager Isaacman dropped out of high school when he landed a job with Merchant Services Inc. as an consultant who provided information on the web which was new at the time. He had previously took advantage of the new trend of the web by selling web services to local businesses which is where he got the connection with MSI. During his brief time working at the company he realized the opportunity in the industry, it took to long for businesses to adopt POS systems (Credit/Debit Card terminals) and where eager to have a third party bridge the gap by making these services easier to use which in turn increases sales for the businesses using POS. Isaacman left the company to start his own business as a teenager, because of his age he needed family connections and a loan to be approved for a credit ID to use his businesses. His business quickly took of as the digital age became inevitable and Isaacman brought one of the first Digital terminals to market which is what we often see today shopping at local restaurants where you simply put your card in to pay. His business expanded and included his former employer MSI and Shift4 a large competitor whose name he took for the company. Today the company is one of the most competitive in the industry rivaling only Square who has a different target customer. In addition to Shift 4 Isaacman is a extreme aviator holding multiple records for his daring trips in fighter jets. Later as an adult he also founded Draken International which is the largest private air force in the World which trains Air Force pilots saving the USAF money and time. As if that was not enough Isaacman has also been to space… He partially funded and was a part of the first fully-private Space mission, teaming up with SpaceX for the Inspiration 4 mission which also raised million for Charity by raffling a seat on the mission. Today Isaacman is training for Polaris Dawn his next Space Mission again with SpaceX. This time he will be team commander a position usually only held by the most experienced NASA astronauts.
Jared was able to predict the market, like a real entrepreneur, and it paid off. Noticing the trend of society and making a business that would market towards these new changes allowed him to be one of the first in his industry. Being first is very important in a marketing sense, and a lot of times being first leads to great success. In this case, Jared is no exception and made a lot of money because of his entrepreneurial mind.
Dang what entrepreneur. Not only did he notice a trend in society and found a way to get involved young, but he also was willing to gamble on it. Dropping out of high school is no small thing. If his hunch wasn’t correct it could have been ruinous for his future. And if that wasn’t enough, quitting his job to follow another hunch. Talk about a true entrepreneur. Great article I had never heard of him before.
Always love to hear about entrepreneurs in my home state! It’s awesome to hear stories of people who risk it all, and then get the payout of a lifetime. Talk about a hand in every pot too. From web development to areo-space technology.
Jared really went above and beyond in so many aspects. Not only did he initiate digital terminals, but he also founded a flight school. Not to mention that he went to space! He has covered practically everything. Throughout his excursions, it’s clear to tell that he has community improvement in mind. He is an inspiration to all young entrepreneurs.