Music Star Will-i-am Latest Celebrity to Invest in Green Aviation Revolution
Will-i-am, best known as an American rapper, songwriter, actor and record producer who founded hip hop group the Black Eyed Peas in 1995 has been entranced by the delights of personal flying vehicle company Jetson. It has been announced the singer has invested an undisclosed large amount of money in to the company as part of a recent USD15 million seed financing round. According to the company, the rapper has been offered the first Jetson One off the assembly line and will become one of the company’s first pilots after completing the training course.
The 48 year-old singer enthused, “I’m proud to be a part of the Jetson family and support the company’s mission to democratise flight, opening the skies to all. Personal aircraft are ideal for short point-to-point flights and will soon be a reality.”
The eclectic Will.i.am has also designed and manufactured futuristic-looking custom cars, working alongside companies like Mercedes-Benz and DeLorean. So, the Jetson One is right up his hip hop alley.
evtolinsights.com regularly covers the company. The Swedish-based Jetson is pioneering the personal flying vehicle market, having already pre-sold more than 300 aircraft at a price starting at USD98,000. A sale first requires an USD8,000 down payment to secure a serial number.
One can clearly see that the wealthy and global elites will come swarming around Jetson like bees to a honey-pot, once the aircraft is fully certified and ready to sell next year on the commercial market. It will be a major and latest go-to plaything for those owning large tracts of private land.
A pilot’s licence is not required and it is easy to fly. Categorised as an ultralight aircraft, the Jetson is controlled by just two joysticks. One for flying up and down and the other, left or right, while the in-flight computer provides a safety mechanism if the aircraft loses power, automatically landing it for the pilot. Even the training course is straightforward and quick to complete. The vehicle is only one metre wide, so you can fit it in the back of a large SUV, van or truck.
The Jetson is not allowed to go faster than 63 miles per hour and no higher than 1,500 feet off the ground. It has a flying battery charge time of around 20 minutes, leading to a potential flight range of 21 miles.
Personal flying vehicles is a very popular specialist market in the making.
Already, the Jetson One is attracting increasing publicity given the launch date is less than a year away. One early example being an accolade from U.S late-night TV show host, comedian Stephen Colbert.
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Meanwhile, the company’s various videos of the Jetson in flight, posted on social media, have attracted well over 50 million views.
Jetson operates a state-of-the-art research and production facility in Arezzo, Tuscany. The facility includes a private airfield south of Florence, housing an industrial complex, an 800-metre airstrip for daily flight testing, a customer experience centre, and a pilot school. Looking ahead, Jetson plans to expand its operations in to the U.S market in 2024, with multiple locations under consideration for its future American headquarters. Currently, it is based in Palo Alto, California.
Yet, it is not just the personal flying vehicle market that is attracting celebrities. Both the flying taxi and drone industries are also creating a stir.
Take the Chinese AAV company EHang, for example. Recently, Lee Soo Man, a well-known South Korean music producer and founder of media company SM Entertainment was part of a business group investing USD23 million as a private placement. Some describe him as an Asian equivalent of Simon Cowell, the creator of the X Factor and Got Talent TV shows.

Lee Soo Man (Credit: SM Entertainment)
In a statement, Lee commented, “I look forward to the convergence of cutting-edge transportation technologies and popular culture to create sustainable value, and I’m proud to be part of it. As the first mover and a leading innovator with great potential in the emerging urban air mobility industry, I appreciate EHang’s unwavering dedication to enabling safe, autonomous and eco-friendly air mobility for the general public.”
Lee’s interest began after setting up LeePollux to explore using drones in visual entertainment productions. While he is no longer part of this project, he remains a big name in K‑pop and is an important social media influencer.
And let us not forget the drone industry and leading India-based company, Garuda Aerospace, who has embraced the investment and support from one of the world’s greatest cricketers — the living legend MS Dhoni.
Captain of the Indian short-format side for 10 years, he now captains the IPL franchise team, Chennai Super Kings which has won the IPL tournament five times since its inauguration in 2008. Alongside fellow Indian Virat Kohli, 42 year-old Dhoni, remains the most famous and best known cricketer in Asia.
Back in June of last year, news broke that he had invested an undisclosed large sum of money in to Garuda. He was quoted, “I’m happy to be a part of the company and look forward to witness their growth story with the unique drone solutions they have to offer.”
Meanwhile, for Agnishwar Jayaprakash, founder and CEO of Garuda, it was a dream come true for a cricketing God to become a part of his company. He incredulously enthused, “He is the epitome of dedication and I firmly believe that having Captain Cool on our cap table adds tremendous value, which will motivate our team to perform better.”

MS Dhoni (Credit: Garuda)
And just to add to this hullabaloo, Dhoni also agreed to become a brand ambassador for Garuda elevating the company’s profile from low key to stratospheric.
We may soon see every Tom, Dick and Harry celebrity, social media influencer, and even Princes and Princesses come flocking to the coolest new aviation revolution since the Wright Brothers first flew the Wright Flyer in 1903 at Kitty Hawk, South Carolina. For this new industry ticks every conceivable 21st century green box and may soon become a marketeer’s delight.
For more information
https://www.garudaaerospace.com/
(News Source: www.venturebeat.com)
(Top image: From left to right, Peter H. Diamandis, Advisor, Tomasz Patan, co-founder and CTO, will.i.am investor, and Rikard Steiber Board Advisor after closing the Jetson investment — Credit: Jetson)