Pierre Omidyar

Pierre Omidyar is a man who loves computers.

He started a very big website called eBay. People use it to sell things to each other. The first thing sold was a broken laser pointer!

He also helps many people by giving away his money. He and his wife, Pam, work to make the world better. He wants to help people have more chances in life. Pierre is a very kind man.

Pierre Omidyar is a famous computer expert. He was born in Paris in 1967. His parents moved to the United States when he was young.

Pierre studied computer science at Tufts University. After college, he started a new business. In 1995, he wrote code for a website. It was called AuctionWeb. This site let people sell things to each other. Soon, the site became eBay. The very first item sold was a broken laser pointer!

eBay grew very fast. It became a huge success. Pierre and his wife, Pam, started the Omidyar Network in 2004. This is a group that helps people improve their lives. They give money to many good causes. Pierre also helps news groups. He wants people to have the truth. He joined The Giving Pledge. This is a promise to give away most of his wealth. He wants to make the world a better place.

Pierre Omidyar is a famous technology entrepreneur and software engineer. He was born in Paris on June 21, 1967. His parents were from Iran and moved to France for school. His father, Cyrus, is a surgeon. His mother, Elahé, is an academic with a doctorate.

The family later moved to the United States. His father worked at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Pierre grew up interested in computers while attending school in Virginia. He later studied computer science at Tufts University and graduated in 1988.

In 1995, Omidyar began a new way of using the internet. He wrote computer code for a website to host auctions. This allowed people to sell items directly to each other. He launched the service on September 4, 1995. At first, it was called AuctionWeb.

The very first thing sold on the site was a broken laser pointer. A collector bought it on purpose. The business grew very quickly as more people joined. By 1997, he changed the name to eBay. He chose this name because his first choice was already taken.

Omidyar's career changed many things for the business world. He served as the chairman of eBay from 1998 to 2015. In 1998, the company had a public offering. This event made both Omidyar and his partner, Jeffrey Skoll, billionaires.

eBay even bought the online payment company PayPal in 2002. Omidyar has stayed connected to the company as a director emeritus. He also uses his wealth to help many different groups. He is known as a philanthropist, which means he gives money to help others.

There are many interesting facts about his family and his work. His grandfather was General Mahmud Mir-Djalali from Iran. The General helped build military industries in his home country.

In 2004, Pierre and his wife Pamela started the Omidyar Network. This group has given over $992 million to help people. He also supports news services like Honolulu Civil Beat and The Intercept. In 2019, he donated about $500 million to charity. Forbes once ranked him as the 245th-richest person in the world.

Today, Omidyar's work links to how we use the internet every day. Most people know how to shop or bid for things online. His invention helped make that possible for everyone.

He also cares about how news is reported to the public. He joined The Giving Pledge to promise his wealth to good causes. This shows how one person's ideas can change the world. He wants to use his money to create new opportunities for people everywhere.

Pierre Omidyar is a prominent technology entrepreneur and software engineer. He is best known as the founder of eBay. This massive online marketplace changed how people buy and sell things globally. Omidyar is also a major philanthropist, which means he gives large amounts of money to help society. He uses his wealth to support journalism and various social causes. His work connects the world of digital commerce with the world of social change.

Omidyar's career began with a simple idea for a website. In 1995, he wrote the original computer code for an online auction venue. This platform allowed people to list items for direct person-to-person bidding. He launched this service on September 4, 1995, under the name AuctionWeb. The first item sold on the site was actually a broken laser pointer. A collector bought it specifically because they collected broken devices. This unexpected sale showed the potential for a wide variety of goods to be traded online.

The business grew with incredible speed through the mid-1990s. Omidyar incorporated the company and used small fees from each sale to fund expansion. By 1996, the site hosted 250,000 auctions through a licensing deal for airline tickets. In early 1997, the number of auctions reached two million per month. By the middle of 1997, the site hosted nearly 800,000 auctions every single day. He eventually renamed the company eBay because his first choice, Echo Bay, was already taken by a mining company.

As eBay grew, it reached major financial milestones. In September 1998, the company held a public offering. This event turned both Omidyar and his partner, Jeffrey Skoll, into billionaires. During his time at the company, eBay acquired the online payment service PayPal in 2002. Omidyar served as the chairman of eBay from 1998 until 2015. Even after stepping down from the board in 2020, he remains a director emeritus. He still holds 6% of the value of the company's shares.

Omidyar's family history is also quite significant. He was born in Paris to Iranian parents. His grandfather, General Mahmud Mir-Djalali, was a high-ranking military leader in Iran. The General helped build Iran's mechanized artillery and defense industries. Omidyar's mother, Elahé, is an academic with a doctorate from the Sorbonne. His father, Cyrus, is a surgeon who practiced in California. These diverse roots helped shape his global perspective on business and charity.

In 2004, Pierre and his wife, Pamela, founded the Omidyar Network. This philanthropic investment firm uses market forces to create social opportunities. The organization has committed more than $992 million to various causes. These include education, financial inclusion, and improving how citizens engage with their governments. They also support the Luminate Group, which helps people access information to protect their rights.

Omidyar is also a dedicated supporter of investigative journalism. In 2010, he launched the Honolulu Civil Beat to cover news in Hawaii. In 2013, he announced the creation of First Look Media. This venture includes news outlets like The Intercept, which employs several prominent journalists. He believes that strong news services are vital for a healthy democracy. This passion for truth ties into his work with digital rights groups. He often criticizes large technology companies for being too powerful.

Today, Omidyar's influence is felt in many different fields. He is a signatory of The Giving Pledge, promising to give away most of his wealth. In 2019 alone, he donated approximately $500 million to charitable causes. Forbes has ranked him among the wealthiest people in the world. His net worth was estimated at $13.1 billion in early 2019. Through his investments and donations, he continues to shape how technology and money can serve the public good.