Jeff Bezos, currently the world's richest person, announced that he would be flying to space as part of Blue Origin's debut private astronaut mission.

As part of the trip, Blue Origin auctioned off one of the seats (next to Jeff Bezos) on the flight, which was sold to the highest bidder for $28 million.

Key Highlights

• An individual paid $28 million (as a winning bidder) for an exclusive seat on the Blue Origin debut private astronaut mission.
• The auction winner will join both Jeff Bezos and his brother on the trip.
• The seat was auctioned to the public, where a total of 7,600 registered bidders from 159 countries competed for the spot.
• The trip, which is an 11-minute automated flight, will be Blue Origin's first to carry humans into space.
• The flight will take place on 20th July.

Why It Matters

• A typical launch for such space missions would cost between $500,000 to $1 million per person.
  
• Despite its immense risks involved, the opportunity to rub shoulders with Jeff Bezos in space would come only once in a lifetime.
• The winner's identity will be revealed in the coming weeks.