Early Life
Jared Taylor Isaacman was born on February 11, 1983, in Summit, New Jersey. He is the youngest of four children and grew up in New Jersey. At age 16, he left high school to work full-time, later earning his GED.
Rise to Success
Isaacman's entrepreneurial journey began in 1999 when he founded United Bank Card, a point-of-sale payment company. The company was later rebranded as Harbortouch and then Shift4 Payments. Under his leadership, Shift4 Payments has become a major player in the payment processing industry, serving over 200,000 businesses and processing over $260 billion in annual payment volume. In 2011, he founded Draken International, a defense firm providing tactical fighter aircraft for contract air services. He sold a majority stake in Draken to Blackstone in 2019.
Key Business Strategies
Shift4 Payments focuses on providing integrated payment processing and technology solutions, including software, hardware, and mobile payment solutions. The company went public in 2020, raising $345 million through its IPO. Draken International provides cost-effective air combat simulations, offering realistic training solutions for military forces worldwide.
Philanthropy
Isaacman is also a committed philanthropist. His notable contributions include a $100 million personal pledge to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital as part of the Inspiration4 mission, and an additional $125 million donation with his wife. The Inspiration4 mission raised over $240 million in total for St. Jude. He and his family have signed The Giving Pledge, committing to donate at least half their wealth to philanthropic causes. Isaacman made a $15 million donation to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center for Space Camp programs.
