FACTBOX: Adventurer Fossett, man of daring and wealth

(Reuters) - Millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett, who became a record-breaking pilot after earning a fortune as a financial trader, is missing after taking off in a small plane in Nevada.

* The California-born Fossett was the first to fly solo around the world by balloon in 2002 and then by airplane in 2005.

* He climbed more than 400 mountain peaks, including the Matterhorn in Switzerland and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, swam the English Channel, raced in the Le Mans auto race and competed in Alaska's Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

* He has set 116 records in balloons, airplanes, sailboats, gliders and airships -- which all rely upon the wind, hence the title of his autobiography, "Chasing the Wind."

* In the book, he recalled biting his lead dog on the right ear to get him going in the Iditarod.

* Born in 1944, he grew up in California and obtained a masters in business administration from Washington University in St. Louis. A stockbroker at first, he founded a securities trading firm that made him millions. Hedging financial risk in trading helped him manage risk in his adventures, he told Reuters in 2006.

* He made Eagle Scout at 13 and remained active in the Boy Scouts of America, receiving several awards as an adult.