|
Steve Fossett (born April 22, 1944, Tennessee) is a United States millionaire and adventurer. Fossett made his fortune in American financial markets but is best known as a long-distance balloonist.
On February 21, 1995 Fossett landed in Leader, Saskatchewan, Canada becoming the first person to make a solo flight across the Pacific Ocean in a balloon. In 2002 he was credited with being the first person to fly around the world alone, nonstop, in a balloon. He launched from Northam, Western Australia on June 19, 2002 and returned to Australia on July 2, 2002.
Steve Fossett is also one of the world's most accomplished sailors. He holds 15 World Record passages in sailing. In 2004 he, as skipper, set the world record for fastest circumnavigation of the world in his sailboat Cheyenne with a crew of 13.
Early in 2005 Fossett will pilot the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer, to fly solo, non-stop around the world to set another raft of world records.
Among his other adventures, Fossett has swam the English Channel and driven the Le Mans 24 hours, amongst a host of other feats.
| 
