Oliver Daemen

Life and career

Oliver Daemen was born in Oisterwijk, North Brabant, Netherlands. He completed his secondary education at the Odulphuslyceum in Tilburg, receiving his high school diploma in 2020, and began studying Science and Innovation Management at Utrecht University in September 2021. His father, Joes Daemen, serves as CEO of Somerset Capital Partners, a Dutch private equity firm. Oliver’s seat on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket came through an auction, making him the company’s first paying customer and the eighth private individual to fund their own non-professional spaceflight.

The auction was initially won by cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun, who bid $28 million but could not fly due to scheduling conflicts. Oliver’s father had originally secured a seat on the second flight, but when Sun withdrew, that seat was moved up. On 20 July 2021, at age 18, Oliver became the youngest person to fly on the first fully automated suborbital spaceflight with civilian passengers, a roughly 10-minute trip that reached an apogee of 107 kilometers.

Did You Know?

• He is a licensed pilot.
• His seat on Blue Origin NS-16 was originally secured by his father, Joes Daemen, for the second flight, but was moved up after Justin Sun backed out due to scheduling conflicts.
• Oliver Daemen became Blue Origin's first customer whose flight was not paid for by Blue Origin.