Millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett has been declared dead.
Fossett was last seen September 3 rd when he took off from an airstrip in Yerington, Nevada in a single-engine plane. He never arrived in Bishop, California, his planned destination. Fossett was 63.
Fossett’s wife, Peggy, had him declared legally dead in Cook County Circuit Court in Chicago. Peggy Fossett said the official declaration would be a step toward resolving the legal status of his estate.
Fossett graduated from Stanford University and earned a master’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis. He remained closely tied with Washington throughout his adventurous life. In 2002, Fossett became the first person to circle the world solo in a balloon. He gained fame through flight records, but also climbed some of the world’s best known mountains, including the Matterhorn in Switzerland and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. He also swam the English Channel, ran the Boston Marathon, completed the Iditarod dog-sled race and competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans car race as part of a team.
