Billionaire on missing Titanic sub holds world records and has been to space

For out-of-this-world news, sign up for the Spaced Out newsletter

We have more newsletters

One of the people on board the missing Titan submarine is a "billionaire" Brit adventurer and record breaker.

Hamish Harding is one of the five missing from the trip to explore the wreck of the Titanic.

Tourists pay around a quarter of a million dollars for a spot on the OceanGate-operated trip, which takes them some 2.4miles below the surface of the ocean in a space about the size of a minivan.

READ MORE: Three Brits residents on missing sub trip to cursed Titanic – including father and son

Mr Harding is identified as a billionaire with a net worth of at least $1 billion (£785m), although the exact value of his overall fortune has not been disclosed.

He’s the chairman of aircraft sales and acquisitions firm Action Aviation and when is comes to adventure, Harding has done a lot.

In 2021 he went to the deepest place on Earth – the Mariana Trench – some 11kilomteres below sea level using a two-man submarine.

Mr Harding completed the operation with Victor Vescovo on a dive into the Challenger Deep part of the trench.

He was onboard the fifth crewed flight by commercial space exploration firm Blue Origin and is a regular in the South Pole.

Mr Harding has, according to the Guinness World Records, achieved and been part of at least four records, one of which is “Fastest circumnavigation via both poles by aeroplane”.

Record-breaking trips to the South Pole have also been and gone for Mr Harding, one with Buzz Aldrin who became the oldest person to make the expedition, and another with his 12-year-old son Giles Harding who became the youngest.

Prior to this particular expedition, Harding put out what would become a chilling message on Instagram.

He wrote: “Due to the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years, this mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023.”

Action Aviation lists airliners for sale on its website, with Harding himself reported by Forbes to be a pilot.

Harding’s exact net worth is not known for sure, although he has been referred to as a billionaire by the likes of the Telegraph and Forbes, but isn’t a feature on the latter’s list of billionaires.

A statement has recently been released by Action Aviation, the family of Mr Harding was said to be "very grateful" for the "kind messages" received.

The statement read: “Both the Harding family and the team at Action Aviation are very grateful for all the kind messages of concern and support from our friends and colleagues.

“We are thankful for the continued efforts of the authorities and companies that have stepped in to aid in the rescue efforts. We put great faith and trust in their expertise.

“Captain Hamish Harding, a licensed air transport pilot, a living legend of aviation inducted in 2022, a three Guinness World Records-holder, an explorer and an entrepreneur, is an extraordinarily accomplished induvial who has successfully undertaken challenging expeditions, including but not limited to One More Orbit project (the record-breaking circumnavigation of the world), a flight to space with Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket as a commercial astronaut (NS-21 Mission) and the reintroduction of cheetahs from Namibia to India.

“He has travelled on a submersible to the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench and has been to the South Pole a number of times.

“The team at Action Aviation are extremely proud of Hamish and we look forward to welcoming him home.

“The Harding family and Action Aviation politely request privacy at this time.”

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here .

• Net Worth
• space
• Family

Source: Read Full Article