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.