| "I never had it in mind that I would start a | | | | growth of the business, Omidyar began |
| company one day and it would really be | | | | charging small change to list an item on the |
| successful. I have just been motivated by | | | | site and took a small commission if the item |
| working on interesting technology."Growing | | | | was bought.Building An EmpireOmidyar was |
| UpOmidyar was born in Paris in 1967. He moved | | | | surpised by his continued success and had to |
| to Baltimore when his father began his term | | | | hire someone to open the large number of |
| of residence at Johns Hopkins. Omidyar became | | | | cheques that were being sent in. He was also |
| captivated by computers while at high school | | | | surprised that people were not simply using |
| and skipped his gym classes in order to use | | | | the site to buy and sell, but also as a |
| it. Noticing the boy's keen interest, the | | | | meeting place where relationships were made |
| principle gave him the job of creating a | | | | over common interests.After qutting his day |
| program that would produce catalog cards for | | | | job, Omidyar worked along with Skoll to |
| the library. He was paid $6 an hour.At Tufts | | | | improve eBay. They felt that if a sturdy |
| University, Omidyar worked on a program to | | | | framework was in place, business would |
| assist Macintosh programmers with computer | | | | generate by itself. After just under two |
| memory problems. His request that users of | | | | years of operation, eBay was one of the most |
| this shareware file pay on the honour system | | | | popular internet sites, 150 users bidding on |
| did not bring many replies; the cheques that | | | | 794,000 items daily. And the company was now |
| should have been going to fund his years as a | | | | doubling every three months.At such a rate of |
| computer science undergraduate went solely to | | | | growth, Omidyar and Skoll sought venture |
| paying for the post office box.In 1991, | | | | capital assistance and a management team that |
| Omidyar went to work with three friends to | | | | would further move the company forward. |
| create pen-computing programs. Though Pen | | | | Benchmark Capital gave the partners a $4.5 |
| computing was a dismal failure, the | | | | million cheque for 22% of the company. |
| e-commerce site (eShop) on the Web site that | | | | Benchmark also found a CEO for eBay, Margaret |
| Omidyar introduced and operated enticed | | | | Whitham, an executive from Hasbro, and with |
| Microsoft to buy the company.Starting The | | | | her leadership, the business became a slick |
| BusinessOmidyar went to work with General | | | | corporate entity. With a new look, better |
| Magic, a software company, in 1994 and made | | | | publicity, and greater organization, eBay |
| extra money designing Web pages on the side. | | | | went public on September 24, 1998. Within |
| The girl he was dating at the time, Pamela | | | | four months of trading, the stock, which |
| Wesley, who would later become his wife, | | | | started at $18 per share, was worth $300. |
| collected Pez dispensers and often complained | | | | Omidyar became a billionaire.Now selling far |
| how difficult it was to meet others | | | | more than just Pez dispensers, eBay has |
| passionate about her hobby on the internet. | | | | completely changed e-commerce. Despite |
| Thoughtfully, Omidyar appended a small online | | | | increasing competition, eBay continues to |
| auction to his personal website so Pamela | | | | grow. Omidyar recognized and seized the |
| would make contacts with other collectors as | | | | opportunity that essentially fell into his |
| well as buy and sell.eBay (electronic Bay, as | | | | lap and revolutionized internet use.Evan |
| in the San Francisco Bay area), as it was | | | | Carmichael is an entrepreneur and |
| when it first appeared in 1995, operated | | | | international speaker. His webpage is among |
| merely as a forum for people to sell and bid | | | | the top 10 Internet sites globally for |
| on various items. Omidyar did not back goods, | | | | entrepreneurship and contains profiles of |
| mediate conflicts, or get involved if there | | | | famous entrepreneurs, lessons learned from |
| were accusations of dishonesty or abuse of | | | | successful business owners, and expert |
| the system. Almost immediately, collectors of | | | | opinions and analysis. He also runs |
| Barbie dolls, Beanie babies and the like | | | | Entrepreneur Mastermind Groups to give |
| flocked to eBay.Three months after its | | | | business owners important insights from their |
| launch, Omidyar had to ask his friend Jeff | | | | peers into managing and growing a small |
| Skoll, also a programmer, for help. In order | | | | company. |
| to cover the new costs involved with the | | | | |