Teen Who Flew to Space With Bezos Has Never Bought on Amazon

The award for “Best Small Talk on a Flight to Space” goes to Oliver Daemen, the 18-year-old from the Netherlands who was a part of Blue Origin’s inaugural crewed flight to area earlier this week. On the roughly 10-minute flight, Daemon instructed Amazon founder Jeff Bezos what most likely appeared like blasphemy to his billionaire ears: He had by no means purchased something on Amazon.

In an interview with Reuters on Friday, Daemen recounted his first flight to area, from when he acquired the decision asking him if he was to the conversations he had together with his crewmates, which included Bezos, his brother Mark Bezos, and 82-year-old pilot Wally Funk. Daemen, whose father is the CEO of a non-public fairness agency within the Netherlands, turned the youngest particular person to ever fly to area, whereas Funk turned the oldest.

The teen additionally holds the excellence of unusual Bezos, whose Amazon empire has made him one of many richest males on the earth.

“I told Jeff, like, I’ve actually never bought something from Amazon,” Daemen instructed Reuters. “And he was like, ‘oh, wow, it’s [been] a long time [since] I heard someone say that.’”

Considering that Bezos thanked “every Amazon employee and every Amazon customer” for making the flight doable after he and the crew returned to Earth, Daemen’s feedback might have been slightly awkward. However, it’s good (and form of humorous) to listen to that somebody was frank with him. Bezos little doubt has sufficient individuals telling him that Amazon is God’s reward to humanity, so it’s cool to see one of many youths set him straight.

Daemen wasn’t initially presupposed to go on the flight with Bezos and crew. He was supplied the chance after the winner of the net public sale for the seat, whose id remains to be unknown and who paid a whopping $28 million for it, mentioned they couldn’t go due to “scheduling conflicts.” Daemen, who was a participant within the public sale and had already secured a spot on the second flight, was then moved up on the record. His father, Joes Daemen, paid for the seat.

According to Daemen, his household didn’t pay something close to what the mysterious bidder paid for the chance.

“We didn’t pay even close to $28 million, but they chose me because I was the youngest and I was also a pilot and I also knew quite a lot about it already,” he mentioned.

The teen, who will start his research at Utrecht University in September, mentioned he wasn’t positive what he wished to do professionally, however would think about specializing in area journey. He additionally instructed the outlet that his fellow vacationers have been “super fun and all down to Earth.” Well, contemplating Daemen’s referring to a person that wishes to stupidly transfer all polluting business into area, I’m unsure I’m bought on that.

Congratulations on the award for that nice small speak, although.