“Find a Winner” Launches on the 100th Anniversary of the $25,000 Orteig Prize for the First Transatlantic Flight, Later Won by Charles Lindbergh
LOS ANGELES (May 22, 2019) -- Today, on the 100th anniversary of the Orteig Prize which inspired aviator Charles Lindbergh to cross the Atlantic, XPRIZE introduces its Find a Winner program, offering a $25,000 prize to any individual who refers someone who goes on to ultimately win a grand prize in an XPRIZE competition.
The Find a Winner program is open to the public, and is currently accepting referrals for the $10 Million ANA Avatar XPRIZE, a four-year global competition focused on the development of a physical, non-autonomous robotic avatar system with which an operator can see, hear, and interact within a remote environment in a manner that feels as if they are physically there. The deadline for registration and qualifying referrals is September 30, 2019.
“The future of humanity depends on our ability to innovate, collaborate and use our collective passions to create a better world for all,” said Anousheh Ansari, chief executive officer of XPRIZE. “Our Find a Winner program will help us to invite anyone, anywhere to participate in our competitions in a powerful and impactful way. We believe in the power of the crowd and believe that through collaboration and competition, we can all play a role in solving the greatest challenges of our time.”
The $25,000 reward from XPRIZE pays homage to the Orteig Prize. On May 22, 1919, French-born hotelier Raymond Orteig offered a $25,000 reward to the first aviator to fly non-stop between New York City and Paris. Ultimately, American Charles Lindbergh won the prize in 1927 in his aircraft The Spirit of St. Louis. It was Lindbergh’s autobiography, a gift from a friend, that inspired Dr. Peter H. Diamandis to create the XPRIZE Foundation in 1994.
“Prizes have ignited passions, spurred innovation and brought about breakthroughs that no one thought possible,” said Diamandis, executive chairman and founder of XPRIZE. “We decided to launch our Find a Winner program on the 100th anniversary of the Orteig prize as a way to honor the legacy of Raymond Orteig and the incentive prize model. Opening up our recruitment process to the public is exhilarating, and as XPRIZE enters its own 25th anniversary, we are more confident and hopeful that ever that the best is yet to come.”
The Find a Winner program will apply to all XPRIZE competitions moving forward.
To refer a competitor for the Avatar XPRIZE or learn more about the Find a Winner program, click here.