What is Felix Baumgartner's Net Worth?
Felix Baumgartner, an Austrian daredevil known as "Fearless Felix," boasts a net worth of $5 million. His most notable achievement is his historic jump from a helium balloon in the stratosphere on October 14, 2012.
Early Life
Felix Baumgartner was born in 1969 in Salzburg, Austria. From a young age, he aspired to be a daredevil and skydiver. He began honing his skills during his time in the Austrian military, where he practiced parachute jumping and landing on small target zones.
In 1999, Felix set the world record for the highest parachute jump from a building by leaping from the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Four years later, he became the first person to skydive across the English Channel with a custom-made carbon fiber wing. Baumgartner also made the lowest BASE jump ever, from the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, and the first BASE jump from the completed Millau Viaduct in France. In 2007, he jumped from the 91st floor observation deck of the Taipei 101, then the world’s tallest building.
Red Bull Stratos
In 2010, Felix joined forces with scientists and his sponsor Red Bull to attempt the highest skydive on record. The first test jump had him jumping from 71,581 feet, reaching speeds over 360 mph. His second test jump was from 96,640 feet, taking 90 minutes to reach altitude but only minutes to free fall.
On October 14, after weather delays, Felix jumped from a helium balloon at a height of 127,852 feet, setting a free fall record of 119,431 feet before deploying his parachute. He became the first person to break the sound barrier outside of a vehicle, reaching speeds of 844 mph, or Mach 1.25.
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Awards & Accolades
In 2012, Felix won the Bambi award in the "Millennium" category for international media and television excellence. He was also named one of "The Men of the Year 2012" by Top Gear magazine. In 2013, Felix was honored as the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year and received the Mankind Award at the Spike Guys’ Choice Awards. Flying magazine ranked him No. 46 on their list of "51 Heroes of Aviation."
Personal Life & Controversy
Felix Baumgartner dated German Playboy playmate Gitta Saxx and was engaged to model Nicole Öttl, but they split in 2013. Since 2014, he has been in a relationship with Romanian television presenter Mihaela Rădulescu.
Felix has been involved in controversies due to his political views. He once stated a preference for a moderate dictatorship over democracy, later retracting his statement to avoid political involvement. In 2016, he faced backlash for his remarks against refugees and endorsement of the right-wing presidential candidate Norbert Hofer. Consequently, he deleted his Facebook page, citing discomfort from political scrutiny. Felix was also convicted of battery and fined $1,500 for slapping a Greek truck driver.
