Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos Inspired by West Virginia Story to Start Blue Origin

Amazon Founder, Jeff Bezos, was inspired by the story of West Virginia‘s Homer Hickam to create aerospace company, Blue Origin, which has since made strides in the space tourism industry.

Jeff Bezos, originally from New Mexico, founded Amazon in 1994, rapidly expanding its reach and becoming one of the world’s most prominent companies.

In 1999, inspired by the book ‘Rocket Boys’ by Homer Hickam, Bezos found motivation to venture into space exploration following the success of the film adaptation, ‘October Sky‘.

‘October Sky,’ directed by Joe Johnston and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, tells the tale of Hickam’s childhood in rural West Virginia where he and friends begin their journey into rocketry after the launch of Sputnik 1.

According to the author Christian Davenport, Bezos shared his aspiration to create a space company after a matinee showing of ‘October Sky’ with Neal Stephenson, known for his science-fiction works like ‘Snow Crash‘ and ‘Cryptonomicon’.

The two friends even indulged in rocket launches at Seattle‘s Magnuson Park, reminiscent of the rocket experiments of Hickam and his friends in Coalwood, West Virginia.