A. J. Hackett

Allan John "A. J." Hackett (born May 1958) is a New Zealand entrepreneur who popularised the extreme sport of bungy jumping. He made a bungy jump from the Eiffel Tower in 1987 and founded the first commercial bungy site in 1988. His daughter is freestyle skier, Margaux Hackett.

Early life Hackett was born in Pukekohe, and grew up on Auckland's North Shore. He attended Westlake Boys High School between 1972 and 1974, where he played rugby union. He left school at the age of sixteen to serve an apprenticeship as a carpenter-joiner.

In November 1986, Hackett, along with Sigglekow, performed his first amateur bungy jump from the Upper Harbour Bridge (Greenhithe Bridge) in Auckland, citing it as "one of the most riveting experiences of my life." Following this Hackett made jumps from a bridge in Auckland, the Auckland Harbour Bridge and other bridges in the North Island. These first jumps were made using a parachute harness; however, Hackett created a method where the harness was tied to the ankle and demonstrated its use by jumping off the Auckland Harbour Bridge a second time. He later expanded his company by founding bungy sites in Australia, France (Souleuvre Viaduct in Normandy), Germany, the United States, Mexico, Indonesia, and Macau. He is credited with launching New Zealand's adventure tourism industry and helping to develop a safe code of operation for bungy jumping in use internationally.

In 2006 Hackett published his autobiography, Jump Start, which chronicles his bungy jumping adventures.

His company, AJ Hackett Bungy, was recognised by Westpac Queenstown Chamber of Commerce with a Business Excellence Award in the large business category.

In the 2017 Queen's Birthday Honours, Hackett was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to adventure tourism.