Jared Taylor Isaacman (born February 11, 1983) is an American entrepreneur, pilot, commercial astronaut, and public servant who has served as the 15th Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) since December 2025. He is best known for his career as a technology executive, having founded the payment processing company Shift4 Payments, and for his pioneering role in the commercial spaceflight sector. Born in Summit, New Jersey, and raised in Westfield and Bernards Township, Isaacman developed an early interest in aviation and technology. At age 16, he left high school to pursue his business interests full-time, eventually obtaining his GED. In 1999, he founded United Bank Card, which later rebranded as Shift4 Payments. Under his leadership, the company grew into a significant global payment processing firm, servicing hundreds of thousands of businesses in the hospitality, leisure, and retail sectors. Isaacman served as the company's CEO for over two decades, guiding it through its public listing on the New York Stock Exchange in 2020. In 2011, he co-founded Draken International, a defense aerospace company that provided adversary air training services to the U.S. military and NATO allies. He sold the company to the Blackstone Group in 2019. Isaacman’s interest in aviation extended beyond his business ventures; he is an accomplished pilot with over 8,000 flight hours. He has participated in numerous airshows as part of the Black Diamond Jet Team, which he co-founded, and in 2009, he set a world speed record for circumnavigating the globe in a light jet. In 2011, he earned a bachelor's degree in Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and in 2024, he received an honorary doctorate from the same institution. In the 2020s, Isaacman became a central figure in the expansion of private space exploration. In 2021, he commanded Inspiration4, the first all-civilian orbital spaceflight, which utilized a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. The mission was notable for its philanthropic impact, raising over $250 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Building on this success, he initiated the Polaris Program. In September 2024, he commanded the Polaris Dawn mission, which reached a peak altitude of approximately 1,400 kilometers—the farthest humans had traveled since the Apollo program—and conducted the first-ever commercial spacewalk. In December 2024, President Donald Trump nominated Isaacman to serve as the Administrator of NASA. Following a period of political uncertainty during which his nomination was briefly withdrawn and subsequently resubmitted in November 2025, Isaacman was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 17, 2025. As NASA Administrator, he has focused on fostering commercial partnerships and continuing the agency's exploration goals. Isaacman resides in Pennsylvania with his wife, Monica, and their two daughters.