Branson Vs. Bezos: Who Really Wins This Space Race?
The Amazon founder may not be first to blast off but he has far more financial firepower. He's even winning the public relations battle.
Will Jeff Bezos or Richard Branson win the billionaire space race?
Photographers: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg; JP Yim/Getty Images
Within the next fortnight two of the Earth’s wealthiest individuals will attempt to fly into space. Richard Branson’s flight on Sunday aboard a Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc. spaceship will be followed by Jeff Bezos’s rocket trip with Blue Origin LLC on July 20. In a summer not lacking in awe-inspiring spectator sports, this rivalry remains pretty unique. And it’s not without risk.
It’s taken a couple of decades for both men to realize their ambition of going into space. Blue Origin was founded in 2000 and Virgin Galactic four years later. The critics will harp that they could have devoted their time and money toward more worthy terrestrial endeavors (and paying more tax). Their jostling to be first smacks of billionaire bravado.