Buzz Aldrin Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What is Buzz Aldrin’s Net Worth?

With a net worth of $12 million, Buzz Aldrin is a notable American engineer, fighter pilot, and former astronaut. He gained fame as one of the first two individuals, alongside Neil Armstrong, to walk on the Moon in 1969. Aldrin’s career began with combat missions during the Korean War and included three spacewalks as the pilot of Gemini 12 in 1966. After his departure from NASA in 1971, he took on the role of Commandant at the US Air Force Test Pilot School.

The nickname “Buzz” was coined in his childhood when one of his older sisters mistakenly pronounced “brother” as “buzzer”; it was later shortened to Buzz. In 1988, Aldrin officially adopted it as his legal first name.

Although he is technically the ‘second’ person to walk on the Moon, his role as the lunar module pilot on Apollo 11 marked a significant moment in history when he set foot on the lunar surface at 03:15:16 (UTC) on July 21, 1969, right after Neil Armstrong. Aldrin’s first words upon stepping onto the Moon were “Beautiful view. Magnificent desolation.”

Early Life and Education

Born in 1930 as Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr. in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, Buzz Aldrin is the son of Edwin Sr., a Standard Oil executive and World War I Army aviator, and Marion. He has two older sisters named Madeleine and Fay Ann. In his youth, Aldrin was a Boy Scout and played football at Montclair High School. His father encouraged him to apply to the United States Naval Academy, prompting Aldrin to enroll at Severn School for preparation. However, suffering from seasickness led him to choose the United States Military Academy at West Point instead, where he graduated in 1951 with a BS degree in mechanical engineering, finishing third in his class.

Military Career

After completing his education, Aldrin was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force, relocating to Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, where he trained to fly fighter jets. He was assigned to the 16^th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron in 1952, partaking in combat missions during the Korean War. Over his time in Korea, he flew 66 combat missions and shot down two MiG-15 aircraft, earning two Distinguished Flying Crosses and three Air Medals for his service.

Following the war, Aldrin served as an aerial gunnery instructor at Nellis, and later graduated from the Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. From 1956 to 1959, he served as a flight commander piloting various F-100 Super Sabres stationed in West Germany. Returning to the United States, Aldrin attended graduate school at MIT, obtaining a Doctor of Science degree in astronautics in 1963, then moving on to work at the Gemini Target Office of the Air Force Space Systems Division.

NASA Career and Apollo 11

Selected in 1963 as one of the 14 astronauts in NASA’s Astronaut Group 3, Aldrin became the first astronaut with a doctoral degree. He was later chosen as part of the backup crew for Gemini 10. Aldrin’s debut spaceflight occurred in 1966 with Gemini 12, during which he spent over five hours engaged in extravehicular activities.

On July 16, 1969, Aldrin served as the Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 11, which achieved liftoff from Kennedy Space Center. On July 21, along with Neil Armstrong as the mission commander, they became the first two humans to step onto the lunar surface. Additionally, Aldrin, as a Presbyterian elder, performed the first religious ceremony on the Moon, taking communion privately. Upon their return, the crew received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Subsequently, Aldrin made many public appearances and speeches while engaging in space shuttle design. Ultimately, feeling limited career prospects at NASA, he left in 1971, intending to return to the Air Force. By the end of his NASA career, Aldrin had accumulated 289 hours in space.

Post-NASA Career

Upon his exit from NASA, Aldrin was appointed as Commandant of the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in California. During his time there, he faced conflicts with his superior, Brigadier General Robert M. White, and encountered challenges associated with his fame. This led Aldrin to experience signs of depression, intensified by the tragic losses of his mother and grandfather, which resulted in a four-week hospitalization. He later retired as a colonel in 1972.

Despite battling depression and addiction after his time with NASA and the Air Force, Aldrin remained a champion for space exploration. In 1985, he joined the University of North Dakota’s College of Aerospace Sciences, contributing to the development of their Space Studies program. In 1998, he established the non-profit educational organization ShareSpace to advocate for the advantages of STEAM education. By 2013, Aldrin was promoting a human mission to Mars, and in 2015, in collaboration with the Florida Institute of Technology, presented a proposal to NASA about potential astronaut colonization of Mars by 2040.

Personal Life

Aldrin married Joan Archer in 1954, with whom he had three children: Janice, James, and Andrew; their divorce occurred in 1974. His second marriage was to Beverly Van Zile from 1975 to 1978. In 1988, he married Lois Driggs Cannon, but they divorced in 2012. Throughout his life, Aldrin has primarily lived in areas including Los Angeles and Orange County, alongside brief residences in Beverly Hills, Westwood, Emerald Bay, and Laguna Beach, as well as Satellite Beach, Florida.

Honors

Aldrin has received numerous honors, including the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal in 1969 for his involvement with Apollo 11. He has also been awarded the Legion of Merit for his services in Gemini and Apollo missions, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, and the Collier Trophy, which was awarded to the entire Apollo 11 crew. In 1982, he was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame as one of ten Gemini astronauts. He has received further recognitions by being inducted into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame, the National Aviation Hall of Fame, and the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

Additional accolades include the Smithsonian Institution’s Langley Gold Medal, the Harmon Trophy, the Space Foundation’s General James E. Hill Lifetime Space Achievement Award, along with various honorary degrees from multiple colleges and universities.

Real Estate

In 1998, Buzz and his then-wife Lois purchased a condo in LA’s Westwood neighborhood for $1.34 million. After their divorce, Buzz listed the property for $3.3 million. Ultimately, the unit sold for $2.857 million in June 2014.