Ken Griffin wins $8 million Bezos spaceflight auction, donating seats

Ken Griffin, billionaire creator and CEO of hedge investment Citadel, put the winning $8 million quote in an auction Monday for a chair on a spaceflight with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin.

Bezos’ business donated two seating on its brand new Shepard rocket for a “buy one give one” auction within non-profit Robin Hood’s yearly advantage for brand new York City, using the 2nd chair planning to a NYC instructor.

But Griffin won’t start to place himself, alternatively offering straight back their chair to ensure two teachers can travel.

A Robin Hood representative informed CNBC that company will mate with Griffin, Blue Origin and nyc’s division of knowledge to choose the 2 educators when it comes to spaceflight, saying an announcement towards “process and schedule” is originating quickly.

A Blue Origin representative included that time when it comes to brand new Shepard launch is certainly not set however and therefore the business is certainly not about to sell the trip’s continuing to be four seating.

Blue Origin’s brand new Shepard rocket releases from business’s personal center in western Tx and flies beyond 100 kilometers height, or just around 340,000 legs, in which the team encounters about two moments of weightlessness before going back to world.

Notably, Griffin’s quote is $20 million under the winning quote of an auction that Blue Origin presented for a seat on its inaugural brand new Shepard trip this past year — although that admission included a ride with Bezos himself.