As suggestive as the rocket appears, the reasons for the design actually are, engineers say, rocket science.

The spacecraft peaks at about 106km altitude, allowing the crew members to admire the curvature of the planet, and the inky black of the rest of the universe.

The Virgin empire boss had joined the flight to test the customer experience for future space tourists.

She underwent astronaut training in the 1960s but never made it into space.

Bezos will lift off on July 20 in his rocket New Shepard's first manned flight into space.

After her divorce, she signed the Giving Pledge, promising to give away most of her fortune.

The Bezos brothers will be joined by the mystery winner of Saturday's charity auction, and by a fourth, as yet unnamed space tourist.

His space company is also auctioning off a seat for someone to join the inaugural crewed flight.

Most megayacht owners do not want or need to go near populations in peril on the land during the pandemic.

The company is not discussing future ticket prices but once fully operational, the company could expect to charge perhaps US$200,000 per seat.

He says he will transition to the role of executive chair in the third quarter, handing over the CEO role to Andy Jassy, who heads Amazon Web Services.

Bloomberg Billionaires Index gives the low down on the Asian billionaires currently leading the high life.