NASA’s billionaire chief is rewarding top staff with 1,000 mph joyrides in his personal fighter jet
Published on Jan 13, 2026 at 3:40 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Jan 13, 2026 at 3:40 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Claire Reid
Making himself an early contender for coolest boss of the year, NASA chief Jared Isaacman is offering top workers a chance to take a trip in his 1,000mph personal fighter jet.
Issacman is the founder of Shift4 Payments, and has an estimated net worth $1.4 billion.
As of December 2025, he’s also the administrator of NASA, and has recently announced a top perk for top performers at the US space agency.
‘Exceptional’ workers could land themselves a fun trip with Isaacman onboard his Northrop F-5 Tiger II, hitting speeds of up to Mach 1.6.
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NASA chief Jared Isaacman is a pilot with more than 8,000 flight hours
Isaacman is a seasoned pilot with more than 8,000 flight hours under his belt.
He’s also flight-qualified to fly several military jet aircraft, including A-4, Alpha, L-39, T-33, and F-5, as well as civilian aircraft, like the Challenger 650 and Citation Mustang.
He even managed to break a world record for circumnavigating the globe in a light jet back in 2009.
Aged just 26, Isaacman flew around the world in 61 hours, 51 minutes, and 15 seconds, beating the previous record by about 20 hours.
He also made history by taking part in the first-ever privately funded spacewalk after blasting off on SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission in 2024.
The billionaire is the proud owner of a Northrop F-5 Tiger II and has recently announced he will be making it available for use at NASA.
There are staff perks, and then there’s this…
Isaacman had a bit of a bumpy road to become NASA boss.
He was initially nominated for the top job by President Donald Trump in December 2024.
However, in May 2025, news broke that the White House had withdrawn the nomination.
But by November, there was another U-turn, and Isaacman was once again nominated by Trump for the role.
He was confirmed by the Senate on December 17 by a vote of 67–30, and sworn in the next day.
Now, a couple of months into the role, NASA has revealed a slightly unusual perk, which Isaacman will be offering to hardworking staff.
NASA press secretary Bethany Stevens recently posted on X to say Isaacman’s privately-owned jet would be made available ‘for NASA workforce incentive flights, flyovers, participation in America’s 250th birthday celebrations, and to inspire the next generation to take an interest in STEM fields and contribute to the greatest adventure in human history’.
The post went on to say that the billionaire would be picking up the tab for all costs associated with the flights, stressing there would be ‘zero burden to the taxpayer’.
Revealing more about those ‘incentive flights’, Stevens added that if you happen to be an ‘accomplished’ member of the NASA team carrying out ‘exceptional work’, then you might find yourself being invited along to take to the skies with the NASA chief in his Northrop F-5 Tiger II.
As far as work incentives go, it sure beats a pizza party in the break room, doesn’t it?
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
