Old scifi-novel focused on a rich entrepeneur at the edge of space

Question

I randomly recalled a scifi novel I read at least 15 years ago, likely an old one even then, which involved a rich man and his plots. The frontier, so to speak (don't recall what term the book used), was a lot of worlds where some rich folks effectively made their own laws. I think a lot of the events involved the main character's plots, but it wasn't one straight storyline, more like multiple stories over time.

I only recall 2 scenes: First was the intro, where a lady paid a lot for a ticket to get to the planet where her family member (sister?) lived. However, she found out that the ship wasn't going there, people were tricked and in reality the ship went to only 1 destination, not multiple. After some events, I think she ended up as the secretary of the main character.

Another scene had the main character in a spacesuit, about to be spaced after being betrayed. He pulled off a move and jumped into space himself, preventing them from executing him. However, due to having pushed off with his foot, the cold from the ship hull was now spreading into his suit. His temperature was dropping but he was saved before dying.

Edit: I recall that in the ship-destination, the lady went to protest and was basically told 'planet X is paying for us to deliver people, so we're delivering them there.' 'But you're letting us vote?' 'Yes, but we only show the good sides of planet X, and bad sides of other planets, so the vote swings the right way. And now that you know that, I must insist you stay here until we arrive, so you can't tell anyone else.'

Answer 1

I think the book is probably Planets for Sale, 1954, by A.E. van Vogt and/or his wife E. Mayne Hull.

https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?120781

The book is a collection of short stories published from 1943 to 1946 turned into a novel.

The setting is a newly settled star cluster, the Ridge Stars, with a frontier society and Gilded Age robber baron type business practices.

In the first story, "Competition", a woman is travelling to the Ridge stars to the planet where her sister lives, but the liner is going to take the pasengers to anther planet, holding a rigged election to decide where to go, and when she finds out she is held prisoner until the ship lands. After being released from the ship, her troubles begin.

One feature of "Competiton" and Planets for Sale, is that the main planet is a double planet, with the other planet now dead and lifeless, except from a lizard person known as the Skal thing who has a castle that the more ruthless rich men use for their dirty doings. If you remember that, Planets for Sale is the book you are thinking of

Answer 2

Try maybe Frederik Pohl's Gateway - Heechee sextology ?