Danish internet entrepreneur Morten Wagner has purchased an Eclipse very light jet after placing the winning bid in an online auction.

The private auction, powered by eBay, concluded when Wagner placed his winning bid of US$1,833,945 at 2:00 a.m. his time on August 11th. He expects to take delivery of the aircraft within a few weeks.

"I was just sitting there, holding my breath, watching the auction run out," he said. "When I saw I had won, I was delirious; I woke up

the whole house and told everyone I just bought an aircraft on Eclipse's private marketplace."

The 35-year-old businessman said he was determined to win the auction and was prepared to make another bid if he had to. Wagner, the founder of his company Freeway, plans to use his Eclipse 500 for business travel throughout Europe, and to travel between his homes in London, Spain, and Denmark. He started flying about eighteen months ago and has already accumulated 462 hours, currently flying a Cirrus SR22.

"I've wanted an Eclipse 500 for a long time," Wagner said. "To me, it's top of the line, and the most beautiful aircraft around."

Eclipse Aviation announced the auction of aircraft serial number 38 at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI, on July 25th. The auction of the VLJ

went live on an online private marketplace powered by eBay on July 30th. More than 200 people were registered on eBay to bid on the aircraft. There were a total of 15 bids among six bidders.

"The fact that we can sell an early Eclipse 500 on an open market for more than $1.8 million demonstrates the enormous demand for very light jets, and particularly for the aircraft that started it all and still offers the market's best value proposition," said Vern Raburn, president and ceo of Eclipse Aviation. "It's exciting to see that the winner is going to put his Eclipse 500 to great use in both his business and personal life."

The auction was open to existing Eclipse Aviation Bidders' Club members, as well as non-members who were interested in purchasing an early Eclipse 500. The Bidders' Club was originally offered from May 2000 to May 2002.