Felix Baumgartner Biography

With the 2012 jump, Baumgartner broke Joseph Kittinger’s record of the highest parachute jump. The jump not only created world records but also contributed to the advancement of scientific researches related to the stratosphere, helping scientists develop better space equipment and space suits.

Between 2013 and 2014, Baumgartner undertook another intense physical training for two consecutive car races. He joined ‘Audi Motorsport,’ raced ‘Volkswagon Polos’ in 2013, and drove the ‘Audi R8 LMS’ for the 2014 ‘24 Hours of Nurburgring,’ helping the team acquire the ninth position in the race.

Felix Baumgartner died on 17 July 2025, in a paragliding accident in Porto Sant'Elpidio, Italy, at the age of 56.

Felix Baumgartner’s 2012 skydiving feat in New Mexico was acknowledged by the authorities at the ‘Guinness World Records.’ After setting multiple records with just one jump, Baumgartner became an immensely popular celebrity in the realm of extreme sports.

In 2012, Felix Baumgartner won the ‘Bambi’ award in the ‘Millennium’ category. The same year, in December, ‘Top Gear’ magazine listed him as one of ‘The Men of the Year 2012.’ In 2013, he won the ‘National Geographic Adventurer of the Year’ honor.

At the 2013 ‘Spike Guys’ Choice Awards,’ Baumgartner was honored with the ‘Mankind Award.’ In March 2013, he was named the ‘Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year.’

After the successful highest-altitude jump of 2012, Baumgartner’s name was added to Vienna’s ‘Street of Champions.’ He was also nominated for the ‘NEA Extreme Sports Awards’ and the ‘World Sports Awards.’

He was featured by ‘Flying Magazine’ on their 2013 list of the ‘51 Heroes of Aviation.’ He was ranked 46th and was the youngest living man to make it to the list.

In 2015, he won the ‘Steiger Award.’

‘Global Fashion Network’ featured Felix Baumgartner on their list of the ‘Most Stylish Men 2017.’ He graced the second position on the list.

The daredevil was presented with the ‘Living Legends of Aviation’ honor in Beverly Hills, US, in 2018.

Baumgartner briefly dated Gitta Saxx of ‘Playboy German Playmate of the Century’ fame. Later, he was engaged to Nicole Öttl, the winner of the ‘Miss Lower Austria 2006’ pageant. They called off the relationship in 2013. From 2014 until his death in 2025, Baumgartner was in a relationship with Mihaela Rădulescu, a Romanian TV presenter.

Baumgartner was dragged into controversy a few times because of his brawls and political comments. In 2012, he was penalized with a fine of €1,500 for slapping a Greek truck driver after the two of them got into an argument.

In 2016, his ‘Facebook’ fan page with more than a million followers was deleted due to some of his unorthodox political stances, including his endorsement of Norbert Hofer of the right-wing ‘Freedom Party of Austria.’

Prior to this, he had also expressed controversial opinions against refugees while recommending Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister, as a nominee for the ‘Nobel Peace Prize.’

He was an accomplished helicopter pilot and had logged numerous hours flying various aircraft.

In addition to his extreme sports pursuits, Felix was a passionate advocate for environmental conservation and supported various initiatives to protect the planet.

He had a keen interest in technology and worked with engineers and scientists to develop innovative equipment for extreme sports activities.

Felix had a strong sense of adventure and explored remote regions around the world, showcasing his curiosity and zest for life.