Edwin Eugene Aldrin, Jr. was born on 20 January 1930, in Montclair, New Jersey USA, of German, Scottish and Swedish ancestry. Buzz is an engineer and former astronaut, best known to be one of the first two men to land on the moon in 1969, an achievement he shares with Neil Armstrong. He is also a former US Air Force officer and all his endeavors have helped put his net worth to where it is now.
How rich is Buzz Aldrin? As of mid-2016, sources estimate a net worth that is at $10 million, mostly earned through a prestigious military and NASA career. After his success in the military, he was given the chance to be an astronaut. He’s also appeared in television shows and films, and all of these have helped ensure his wealth.
Buzz Aldrin Net Worth $10 Million
Aldrin’s father was a military man, and Buzz, after matriculating from Montclair High School, he would turn down an offer from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to join the military and attend West Point. His nickname came from his sister mispronouncing brother as buzzer and later he would legally change his name to Buzz. He graduated from West Point with a degree in mechanical engineering, but then became a jet fighter pilot and served during the Korean War with the rank of Second Lieutenant and flew 66 combat missions. After the war, he became an instructor at Nellis Air Force Base, and then an aide at the United States Air Force Academy. His education within the military continued with his completion of Squadron Officer School, and he would later become a flight commander. Eventually, he attended MIT for graduate studies, completing a Dsc degree in Astronautics, and was later selected to become an astronaut.
When Buzz joined NASA during 1963, he was a part of the third group of Astronauts. They were assigned to be the backup crew for Gemini 9 and then later he became the pilot of Gemini 12. He was then selected to be a part of Apollo 11 with Neil Armstrong, becoming the second man to walk on the moon, and the first person to urinate on the moon. He originally wanted to be the first man to walk on the moon, but many factors, including the fact that Neil Armstrong was the commander, decided otherwise. He held a religious ceremony on the moon, taking communion. Later on he would come to disagree with his actions, informing others that the moon landing was meant for all mankind and all religions.
Buzz left NASA in 1971 and became the Commandant of the US Air Force Test Pilot School, but a year later retired.
After retirement he published an autobiography “Return to Earth”, and also “Magnificent Desolation”. He subsequently co-authored many books and talked about clinical depression and alcoholism. There was a computer game named after him and it was entitled “Buzz Aldrin’s Race Into Space”. He also did voice work for programs “Futurama” and “The Simpsons”. He appeared in “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”, and also made appearances in “Space Brothers” and “Big Bang Theory”.
For his personal life, Buzz has been married three times, firstly to Joan Archer(1954-74) and they had three children. The second marriage was with Beverly Zile(1975-78), and the third to Lois Driggs Cannon in 1988 which ended in divorce during 2012. He has a grandson from one of his daughters. He commented on the death of fellow astronaut Neil Armstrong, stating that he had hoped that they would be together on the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, but it was not meant to be.
Outstanding Unit Award, Distinguished Flying Cross, National Defense Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, NASA Exceptional Service Medal
Nominations
Colonel, USAF, Commandant of the US Air Force Test Pilot School
Movies
“Futurama” (2011), “The Simpsons” (1994), " Space Ghost Coast to Coast (1997),
TV Shows
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” (2011), “Space Brothers” (2012), “Big Bang Theory” (2012), Dancing with the Stars (2010)
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[on Robin Williams] I regarded Robin Williams as a friend and fellow sufferer. His passing is a great loss. The torment of depression and the complications of addiction that accompany it affect millions, including myself and family members before me - my grandfather committed suicide before I was born and my mother the year before I went to the moon - along with hundreds of veterans who come to a similar fate each year. As individuals and as a nation we need to be compassionate and supportive of all who suffer and give them the resources to face life. Robin Williams RIP.
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The torment of depression and the complications of addiction that accompany it affect millions, including myself and family members before me - my grandfather committed suicide before I was born and my mother the year before I went to the moon - along with hundreds of veterans who come to a similar fate each year," Aldrin wrote. "As individuals and as a nation we need to be compassionate and supportive of all who suffer and give them the resources to face life.
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Mars is there, waiting to be reached.
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I think humans will reach Mars, and I would like to see it happen in my lifetime.
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We can continue to try and clean up the gutters all over the world and spend all of our resources looking at just the dirty spots and trying to make them clean. Or we can lift our eyes up and look into the skies and move forward in an evolutionary way.
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There's a need for accepting responsibility - for a person's life and making choices that are not just ones for immediate short-term comfort. You need to make an investment, and the investment is in health and education.
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[on why no famous photos were taken of Neil Armstrong during the Apollo 11 landing on the moon] As the sequence of lunar operations evolved, Neil had the camera most of the time, and the majority of pictures taken on the moon that include an astronaut are of me. It wasn't until we were back on Earth and in the lunar receiving laboratory looking over the pictures that we realized there were few pictures of Neil. My fault, perhaps, but we had never simulated this in our training.
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[on joining Neil Armstrong in first walk on the moon, 20 July 1969] Beautiful! Beautiful! Magnificent desolation!
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Fact
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Wrote a 2009 memoir "Magnificent Desolation," telling in detail his problems after his return from the moon with divorce, drinking, depression, and despair and checking into rehab in 1975 where he started the long climb back to sobriety and hope.
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His nickname "Buzz" originated in childhood. The younger of his two older sisters mispronounced 'brother' as 'buzzer', which was then shortened to 'Buzz'.
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Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, California on January 14, 1993.
Honorary member of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC).
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Flew twice for NASA. Once on the first manned lunar expedition Apollo 11 with Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins and once on Gemini 12 with Jim Lovell, the last Gemini mission. On the historic Apollo 11 mission, the lunar module was Eagle and the command module was Columbia.
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In 2007, at age 77, he underwent plastic surgery for a face-lift. Claims that being subjected to countless bouts of G-force as a fighter pilot and astronaut caused his jowls to sag prematurely.
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Inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2007 for his services to enterprise and space (inaugural election). Official induction ceremonies held in May 2008.
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His Swedish ancestors were blacksmiths who emigrated to America from the province Värmland in Sweden.
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Society of Operating Cameramen, (SOC) Recipient, Technical Achievment Award (1995) "NASA, First live television broadcast from the Moon" (1969).
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Moonwalker. Lunar Module Pilot, Apollo 11, making him the second man to walk on the Moon.
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Had his first name legally changed to "Buzz" in 1979.