“My quest to expand access to space began more than a decade ago, when I teamed up with Burt Rutan at Scaled Composites to build SpaceShipOne. This innovative air-launched vehicle was the world's first private spacecraft to carry an astronaut into sub-orbital space.”

American entrepreneur and philanthropist of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates in 1975, shaping early personal computing. Later invested in sports teams, space exploration, and scientific research through his Vulcan Inc. foundation.