Watch Live As Billionaire Ridge High School Dropout Flies Into Space

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Jared Isaacman, an American billionaire businessman, pilot and Ridge High School dropout, was part of the world's first all-civilian mission to orbit the Earth on Wednesday at 8 p.m. all in the name of charity. (Watch live below)

More than 20 years ago, Isaacman dropped out of Ridge High School in Basking Ridge to pursue a career in computer technical service and repair, according to Bernardsville News.

He ended up founding a retail payment processing company that was later renamed as Shift4 Payments, where he still serves as CEO.

Isaacman, who now lived in Allentown, Pennsylvania, announced on Feb. 1, 2021, that he had bought an entire Space X commercial flight called Inspiration 4 in which he and three other specially selected civilians will orbit the earth and raise money for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, according to mrlocalhistory.org.

Along with Isaacman was Hayley Arceneaux, a St. Jude cancer survivor; Dr. Sian Proctor, Shift4Shop owner; and Christopher Sembroski, a St. Jude donor.

The launch was set for Wednesday, Sept. 15 at 8 p.m. from NASA's Cape Canaveral in Florida.

Inspiration4 is the world's first all-civilian mission to orbit the Earth. St. Jude is the charitable beneficiary of Inspiration4 with a goal to raise $200 million for kids with cancer and other life-threatening diseases in honor of this mission, according to stjude.org.

Netflix also created a docuseries to follow the Inspiration4 crew on the first all-civilian orbital space mission on their mission from training to launch to landing. Four episodes are available to watch now. For more information visit netflix.com.

Watch the launch live below at 8 p.m. on Wednesday:

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