One might expect Diamandis to be the saintly humanitarian type, albeit someone with lots of drive. But he says the simple truth is that he is a stubborn and impatient man. "And I say if something isn't happening, why not? Why can't we solve issues around hunger or poverty, or why can't the average person go into space?" he asks. "I believe we can envision a future and we can go make it happen."
Born in New York in 1961, Diamandis was inspired by the derring-do of his Greek immigrant father, who ultimately became a successful doctor in Manhattan. Diamandis graduated from medical school himself, but was more excited about the possibilities of space exploration than he was in becoming a practicing physician.
Diamandis knew his chances of becoming an astronaut were slim indeed, and felt that even if he were selected, he would fly perhaps twice or three times in a decade. "And that wasn't my goal," he said firmly. "I wanted to be able to fly every day."
Looking to the past, Diamandis saw that cash prizes often spurred those breakthroughs. For example, in 1927, the American aviator Charles Lindbergh made the world's first non-stop solo flight from New York to Paris, motivated at least in part by the $25,000 prize offered by Raymond Orteig, a wealthy French American hotelier.
Diamandis himself has developed several space industry companies, one of which has sent seven flights to the International Space Station. He also co-founded a company that offers the experience of weightlessness aboard a specially outfitted aircraft.
Diamandis' foundation now offers prizes in many fields. One competition
Diamandis is also considering an X PRIZE for the development of a computer program and database he calls "Doc in a Box." Mobile telephone users would be able access this artificially intelligent "physician" from anywhere in the world, talk with it, and get an accurate and effective diagnosis and treatment plan in Mandarin, Swahili, English or any other major language. Ultimately, he hopes "it [will] provide a high level of medical capability, literally around the world, for free."