Pierre Omidyar is today at the head of one of the internet's biggest success stories: eBay. Born in France, Pierre moved to the USA at the age of six when his father was given the opportunity of working at John Hopkins University. During his school years in the US Pierre started writing computer programs for six dollars an hour. Knowing how important computers would become in the future, he decided to apply for a place at Tufts University. After graduating in 1988, Pierre then worked as a software developer before creating his first start up 'Ink Development Corporation' in 1991.
The company produced software that enabled computers reading instructions given by pen and not through a keyboard. Five years later he succeeded in selling the company to Microsoft.
It was not until 1995 that he came up with the idea of launching a website which would serve both as a market for exchanging collectors' items and as a forum where collectors could meet to discuss their passion.
From a hobby it soon became a full-time occupation and after renaming it eBay, the world's most open marketplace was born. Now a billionaire, Omidyar has set himself a new goal: to get rid of 99 per cent of his fortune during his lifetime by financing non-profit-marking operations around the world.