What is Buzz Aldrin's Net Worth?
Buzz Aldrin is an American engineer, fighter pilot, and former astronaut with a net worth of $12 million. Buzz Aldrin is renowned for being one of the first two people to walk on the Moon, a feat he accomplished with Neil Armstrong in 1969. Aldrin flew combat missions during the Korean War and made three spacewalks as the pilot of Gemini 12 in 1966. After leaving NASA in 1971, Aldrin served as Commandant of the US Air Force Test Pilot School.
The nickname "Buzz" originated in childhood when his sister mispronounced "brother" as "buzzer," and this was eventually shortened to Buzz. Aldrin legally adopted Buzz as his first name in 1988.
As the lunar module pilot on Apollo 11, Aldrin was the second person to walk on the Moon. He set foot on the Moon on July 21, 1969, at 03:15:16 (UTC), following mission commander Neil Armstrong. Aldrin's first words on the Moon were, "Beautiful view. Magnificent desolation."
Early Life and Education
Buzz Aldrin was born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr. in 1930 in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, to Edwin Sr., a Standard Oil executive and former Army aviator, and Marion Aldrin. He had two older sisters, Madeleine and Fay Ann. As a youth, Aldrin was a Boy Scout and played football at Montclair High School. Encouraged by his father to attend the United States Naval Academy, Aldrin enrolled at the nearby Severn School. However, due to seasickness, he chose to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating third in his class in 1951 with a BS degree in mechanical engineering.
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Military Career
After graduating, Aldrin was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force. He was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas and trained as a fighter pilot. In 1952, he joined the 16th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and saw combat during the Korean War, flying 66 missions and downing two MiG-15 aircraft. For his valor, he received two Distinguished Flying Crosses and three Air Medals.
Post-war, Aldrin became an aerial gunnery instructor at Nellis and graduated from Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base. From 1956 to 1959, he commanded flight operations involving F-100 Super Sabres in West Germany. Returning to the US, Aldrin attended MIT, earning a Doctor of Science in astronautics in 1963 and was subsequently assigned to the Gemini Target Office of the Air Force Space Systems Division.
NASA Career and Apollo 11
In 1963, Aldrin was chosen as one of 14 members of NASA's Astronaut Group 3, becoming the first astronaut with a doctoral degree. He was part of the backup crew for Gemini 10 before making his first spaceflight on Gemini 12 in 1966, spending over five hours on extravehicular activities.
On July 16, 1969, Aldrin served as the Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 11, which launched from Kennedy Space Center. On July 21, he and Neil Armstrong made history by becoming the first humans to walk on the Moon. As a Presbyterian elder, Aldrin also held the first lunar communion. For their achievements, the Apollo 11 crew was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Aldrin left NASA in 1971, after contributing 289 hours in space, and returned to the Air Force.
Via Nasa/Creative Commmons/Public Domain
Post-NASA Career
After NASA, Aldrin was appointed Commandant of the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base. He faced significant challenges, including depression and personal losses, leading to his hospitalization in 1972. He retired from the Air Force as a colonel later that year.
Despite his struggles, Aldrin remained an advocate for space exploration. He joined the University of North Dakota's College of Aerospace Sciences in 1985, helping develop its Space Studies program. In 1998, he founded ShareSpace, a nonprofit promoting STEAM education. In 2013, Aldrin endorsed a human mission to Mars and, in 2015, presented a colonization plan to NASA.
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Personal Life
In 1954, Aldrin married Joan Archer; they had three children, Janice, James, and Andrew, divorcing in 1974. He later married Beverly Van Zile (1975-78) and Lois Driggs Cannon (1988-2012). Aldrin has lived mainly in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas, including Beverly Hills and Laguna Beach, and also in Satellite Beach, Florida.
Honors
Aldrin has received numerous accolades, including the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, and the Collier Trophy, to name a few. He was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame, the US Astronaut Hall of Fame, and other prestigious institutions.
He has also received the Langley Gold Medal, the Harmon Trophy, the General James E. Hill Lifetime Space Achievement Award, and multiple honorary degrees from various universities.
Real Estate
In 1998, Buzz and his then-wife Lois bought a condo in LA's Westwood neighborhood for $1.34 million. They listed it for sale at $3.3 million post-divorce, selling it in June 2014 for $2.857 million.
