The person who paid $28 million to go to space with Jeff Bezos can't make it next week

Jeff Bezos
(Image credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

The person who bid $28 million to go to space with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos apparently has more important things going on next week.

Blue Origin announced Thursday that Oliver Daemen, an 18-year-old from the Netherlands, will accompany Bezos on his upcoming spaceflight, The Washington Post reports. Previously, Bezos' company Blue Origin auctioned off a seat on the July 20 flight for $28 million.

But the company revealed Thursday this auction winner has "scheduling conflicts," so they've "chosen to fly on a future New Shepard mission." Also joining the flight on Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket will be Bezos' brother, Mark Bezos, as well as 82-year-old Wally Funk, and Blue Origin said Daemen and Funk will be "the youngest and oldest astronauts to travel to space" ever.

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"I am super excited to go to space and joining them on the flight," Daemen said, per The Verge. "I've been dreaming about this all my life, and I will become the youngest astronaut ever, because I'm 18 years old."

Daemen had also participated in the auction and "had secured a seat on the second flight," but he was moved up when the seat on the first one became available, a spokesperson told the Post.

Bezos announced last month he'd be headed to space on this brief flight, explaining that it's something he's "wanted to do all my life," though billionaire Richard Branson ended up beating him to the punch with a successful flight on Sunday.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.