Kamal Ghaffarian
Overview
- Source of Wealth
- Space, energy
- Industry
- Energy
- Residence
- Naples, Florida
- Education
- Catholic University of America (Bachelor of Science in Engineering)George Washington University (Master)
- Marital Status
- Engaged
Assets
- Intuitive Machines39,706,217 shares @ --LUNR-US
- X-Energy90,561,753 shares @ --XE-US
Biography
Kamal "Kam" Ghaffarian is a serial entrepreneur who has started companies in nuclear energy, lunar landers and space stations.
He founded small modular nuclear reactor manufacturer X-Energy in 2009; the firm is developing a reactor for a Dow chemicals plant in Texas.
In 2015, he cofounded Intuitive Machines, which makes moon landers. The company listed on the Nasdaq through a blank check company in February 2023.
Axiom Space, which he cofounded in 2016, is developing the world's first commercial space station, with a planned launch date of 2031.
He sold his first company SGT--which he cofounded in 1994 and became NASA's second-largest engineering services provider--to KBR for $355 million in 2018.
In February 2024, Intuitive Machines' Odysseus lunar lander completed the first American mission to the moon since 1972.
About
Ghaffarian was born in Iran and moved to the U.S. at 18 for his college studies.
In 2021 he cofounded Quantum Space, which builds satellites that provide communications, navigation and space domain awareness between the Earth and the moon.
Besides two bachelor's degrees and a master's, Ghaffarian holds Ph.D.s in management information systems and philosophy of technology.