Pierre Morad Omidyar - French-born Iranian-American entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is the founder of the eBay auction site where he served as Chairman from 1998 to 2015. He became a billionaire at the age of 31 with eBay's 1998 initial public offering (IPO).

Childhood and Education

Omidyar was born in Paris, the son of South Azerbaijanian immigrant parents from Azerbaijanian region of Iran who had been sent to France by their parents to attend university. He was given the name of Parviz by his parents. His mother, Elahé Mir-Jalali Omidyar (Persian: الهه میرجلالی امیدیار‎‎) from Urmia city, who did her doctorate in linguistics at the Sorbonne, is a well-known academic. The name of his father, a surgeon who worked as a urologist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and was from Tabriz city, is undisclosed. Due to his father's work the family moved to the U.S. when Omidyar was a child.

His interest in computers began while he was a ninth-grade student at The Potomac School in McLean, Virginia. He graduated from St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Potomac, Maryland, in 1984. He graduated from Tufts University in Medford/Somerville, Massachusetts, with a bachelor's degree in computer science in 1988. Shortly after, he went to work for Claris, an Apple Computer subsidiary, where he worked on the team that upgraded MacDraw to MacDraw II. In 1991, he co-founded Ink Development, a pen-based computing startup that later was rebranded as an e-commerce company and renamed eShop.

eBay and later career

In 1995, at the age of 28, Omidyar began to write the original computer code for an online venue to enable the listing of a direct person-to-person auction for collectible items. He created a simple prototype on his personal web page, and on Labor Day, Monday, September 4, 1995, he launched an online service called Auction Web, which would eventually become the auction site eBay. In May 2003, eBay was successfully sued by Thomas Woolston for patent infringement of online auction software Woolston had invented in the late 1990s. The service was hosted on a website Omidyar had originally created for information on the Ebola virus. The first item sold on the site was a broken laser pointer. Omidyar was astonished that anyone would pay for the device in its broken state, but the buyer assured him that he was deliberately collecting broken laser pointers. Similar surprises followed. The business exploded as correspondents began to register trade goods of an unimaginable variety.

Omidyar incorporated the enterprise; the small fee he collected on each sale financed the expansion of the site. The revenue soon outstripped his salary at General Magic and nine months later, Omidyar decided to dedicate his full attention to his new enterprise.

By 1996, when Omidyar signed a licensing deal to offer airline tickets online, the site had hosted 250,000 auctions. In the first month of 1997, it hosted two million. By the middle of that year, eBay was hosting nearly 800,000 auctions a day.

In 1997, Pierre Omidyar changed the company's name to eBay and began to advertise the service aggressively. The word "eBay" was made up on the fly by Omidyar when he was told that his first choice for his web site, "echobay", had already been registered. Not wanting to make a second trip to Sacramento, he came up with "eBay". The frequently repeated story that eBay was founded to help Omidyar's fiancée trade Pez candy dispensers was fabricated by a public relations manager in 1997 to interest the media. This was revealed in Adam Cohen's 2002 book, and confirmed by eBay.

Jeffrey Skoll joined the company in 1996. In March 1998, Meg Whitman was brought in as president and CEO, and continued to run the company until January 2008, when she announced her retirement. In September 1998, eBay launched a successful public offering, making both Omidyar and Skoll billionaires. As of July 2008, Omidyar's 178 million eBay shares were worth around $4.45 billion. Omidyar is also an investor of Montage Resort and Spa in Laguna Beach, California.

In 2010, Omidyar launched online an investigative reporting news service, Honolulu Civil Beat, covering civic affairs in Hawaii. The site has been named Best News Website in Hawaii for three consecutive years. On September 4, 2013, Honolulu Civil Beat started a partnership with The Huffington Post, launching the weblog's latest regional addition, HuffPost Hawaii.

In 2013, prompted by the Edward Snowden leaks, Omidyar announced the creation of First Look Media, a journalism venture launched on February 10, 2014 with The Intercept and including such journalists as Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, Jeremy Scahill, Dan Froomkin, John Temple, and Jay Rosen.

Film production

Omidyar has been part of the executive producer team for the following films.

    Merchants of Doubt (2014)
    Spotlight (2015)

Omidyar Network

Omidyar Network is a philanthropic investment firm dedicated to harnessing the power of markets to create opportunity for people to improve their lives. It was established in 2004 by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife, Pam. The organization invests in and helps scale innovative organizations to catalyze economic, social, and political change. To date, Omidyar Network has committed more than $270 million to for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations that foster economic advancement and encourage individual participation across multiple investment areas, including property rights, government transparency, and social media. In 2010, he and his wife established, along with Richard Branson and the Nduna Foundation (founded by Amy Robbins), Enterprise Zimbabwe.

Personal life

Omidyar and his wife live in Henderson, Nevada. According to Forbes, his net worth was $8.5 billion (US) as of September 2013, making him the 123rd richest person in the world.

Awards and honors

Honorary degree, Doctor of Public Service, Tufts University (2011)
1999 EY Entrepreneur of The Year National Winner

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Omidyar

The AuctionWeb was founded in California on September 3, 1995 by French-born Iranian-American computer programmer Pierre Omidyar (born June 21, 1967) as part of a larger personal site. One of the first items sold on AuctionWeb was a broken laser pointer for $14.83. Astonished, Omidyar contacted the winning bidder to ask if he understood that the laser pointer was broken. In his responding email, the buyer explained: "I'm a collector of broken laser pointers." The frequently repeated story that eBay was founded to help Omidyar's fiancée trade Pez candy dispensers was fabricated by a public relations manager in 1997 to interest the media, which were not interested in the company's previous explanation about wanting to create a "perfect market". This was revealed in Adam Cohen's book, The Perfect Store (2002), and confirmed by eBay.

Reportedly, eBay was simply a side hobby for Omidyar until his Internet service provider informed him he would need to upgrade to a business account due to the high volume of traffic to his website. The resulting price increase (from $30/month to $250) forced him to start charging those who used eBay, and was not met with any animosity. It resulted in the hiring of Chris Agarpao as eBay's first employee to handle the number of checks coming in for fees.

Jeffrey Skoll was hired as the first president of the company in early 1996. In November 1996, eBay entered into its first third-party licensing deal, with a company called Electronic Travel Auction to use SmartMarket Technology to sell plane tickets and other travel products. Growth was phenomenal; in January 1997 the site hosted 2,000,000 auctions, compared with 250,000 during the whole of 1996. The company officially changed the name of its service from AuctionWeb to eBay in September 1997. Originally, the site belonged to Echo Bay Technology Group, Omidyar's consulting firm. Omidyar had tried to register the domain name echobay.com, but found it already taken by the Echo Bay Mines, a gold mining company, so he shortened it to his second choice, eBay.com.

1995

AuctionWeb is Born
After spending Labor Day weekend at home writing code on his personal computer, eBay founder Pierre Omidyar launches AuctionWeb, a site "dedicated to bringing together buyers and sellers in an honest and open marketplace."

Pierre's First Sale
Canadian Mark Fraser purchased the first item that eBay founder Pierre Omidyar listed on the site in 1995 -- a broken laser pointer.

Pez Dispenser Myth
A story is circulated that Pierre created eBay to help his wife collect Pez candy dispensers. Later, it’s revealed that the story was a fabricated one.

1996

Our First Employee
Pierre hires employee #1, Chris Agarpao, to help coordinate the fast-growing company’s online operations. Twenty years later, Chris is still an eBay employee.

$7.2 Million Worth of Goods Sold
The total value of merchandise sold on AuctionWeb reaches $7.2 million.

Our First President
Pierre quits his day job to devote himself fulltime to his innovative auction website and brings Jeff Skoll on board as President.

Our First Office
Pierre and Jeff rent a small suite (#250) at 1025 Hamilton Avenue in San Jose, CA, in what’s now known as Building 6 (Music) on the current eBay campus.

1997

Beanie Babies Craze
Beanie Babies, Ty Warner’s line of cuddly stuffed animals, take the world by storm. $500 million worth are sold on eBay alone, representing more than 6% of our total volume.

Seller Feedback Introduced
We introduce Feedback Forum, allowing our members to rate their transactions and create a virtual community of openness and confidence.

Millionth Item Sold
We sell our millionth item! A Big Bird jack-in-the-box toy from PBS’ Sesame Street.

eBay is Born
AuctionWeb is officially renamed eBay.

1998

Meg Whitman Joins eBay
Business leader Meg Whitman joins as President and CEO.

My eBay
The launch of "My eBay" customizes the eBay experience.

One of the First Acquisitions
We make an early acquisition, adding Jump Inc. and its person-to-person online trading site, Up4Sale.

eBay Goes Public
After a successful Initial Public Offering (IPO) in September, we list shares on NASDAQ under the symbol EBAY. Expected to trade for $18, our shares shatter expectations and reach $53.50 in just one day.

eBay Foundation Established
The eBay Foundation becomes the first corporate foundation to be endowed with pre-IPO stock. Since then, it has given over $30 million to nonprofit organizations worldwide.

1999

Site Outage and Lessons Learned
On June 10, 1999, the site goes down. In the middle of the night, CEO Meg Whitman rallies more than 50 engineers from eBay and SunMicrosystems to fix the problem. Less than 20 hours later since the outage began, eBay is back up and open for business.

Global Expansion
We launch sites in Germany, Australia and the U.K. As of today, eBay is available in 180 countries.

2000

eBay Office Expands
We continue growing in the U.S. and around the world! In San Jose, the company moves into additional buildings at our current headquarters, then known as eBay Park.

Introducing eBay Motors
We launch eBay Motors, the online automotive marketplace. In 2006, eBay Motors sold its 2 millionth passenger vehicle.

Opening eBay University
We hold our first eBay University course, teaching users how to become master sellers. The format proves to be a huge success, and eBay University classes continue to be offered around the world today.

Half.com joins eBay
We announce we will buy Half.com, making it easier than ever to sell your movies, music, books and games online.

Introducing “Buy It Now”
We introduce a new fixed-price feature, "Buy It Now," which allows users to buy an item instantly at a set price.

The eBay API
Our first Application Programming Interface (API) goes live. Now developers across the world can harness the power of eBay by building their own custom interfaces with unique functionality.

2001

Auctioning Very Old Levi’s
The oldest known pair of Levi’s sells on eBay for more than $46,000 to Levi Strauss & Co., making fashion history.

Introducing eBay Stores
eBay Stores, a new online storefront directory, launches as a way for people to have their own customized online businesses for just a few dollars a month.

A Jet Sells for Millions
A Gulfstream jet sells for $4.9 million, setting a new price record for eBay.

Auction for America
We unveil Auction for America, enabling more than 100,000 users to raise over $10 million for the victims of September 11 and their families. To date, our Giving Works program has supported over 30,000 charities.

2002

First eBay Live! Conference
Anaheim, California hosts the first eBay Live! Conference, bringing together sellers, buyers, journalists, developers, and lovers of all things eBay for action-packed days of learning and networking.

eBay Acquires PayPal
We purchase PayPal, unifying the web’s largest marketplace and an innovative system for secure and hassle-free payment. Being part of eBay Inc. for more than a decade enabled PayPal's strong growth and global leadership position in digital payments. Together, PayPal and eBay’s strong synergies benefit both businesses for years. PayPal is spun off 13 years later into an independent company in July 2015.

2003

eBay Giving Works: $500 Million
Since 2003, eBay Giving Works has raised over $500 million for charities.

PayPal Buyer Protection
eBay transactions become even more secure as PayPal’s Buyer Protection services are implemented for all transactions on the site.

Weird Al Premieres “eBay” Song
Weird Al performs his new song “eBay” at eBay Live! in Orlando, FL. The song goes on to become a major hit.

"eBay Bible" Published
The Official eBay Bible by Jim Griffith, Employee #11, is published.

Fortune’s List: 8th Fastest Growing Company
We grab some worldwide recognition by claiming the 8th spot on Fortune's list of Fastest Growing Companies.

2004

Dream Big, Save Big
We launch the Dream Big. Save Big. campaign to support small business buying on eBay.

The Power of All of Us
We launch our North America brand campaign, The Power of All of Us, celebrating the power of ecommerce and built on the idea that people are basically good.

Jeff Jordan Named PayPal President
Jeff Jordan, Senior Vice President and general manager of eBay North America, is named President of PayPal.

Rent.com joins eBay
We announce our agreement to acquire Rent.com, the leading website for rental housing in the U.S. In 2012, we sell Rent.com to Primedia.

2005

We welcome John Donahoe as eBay Marketplaces President
John Donahoe is named President of eBay Marketplaces. He goes on to serve as President and CEO of eBay from 2008-2015.

eBay Creates Kijiji
We launch a local classified advertising site called Kijiji. Named for the Swahili word for “village,” Kijiji connects users with their neighbors in search of goods and services in almost a dozen countries. Kijiji is now a part of eBay Classifieds.

eBay Acquires Gumtree
Expanding our classifieds presence, we purchase Gumtree, a leading global classified-listing site.

10 years and counting!
We celebrate our 10th birthday!

Main Street Launches
Our Main Street program launches as a grassroots community of ecommerce advocates interested in how public policy may affect their ability to buy and sell online. Today, the global network numbers over 275,000 members!

eBay Acquires Skype
We complete our acquisition of pioneering Internet communications company Skype. In 2009, we sell Skype to a group of investors while retaining a 30% stake in the company.

2006

United Nations Global Compact
We join the United Nations Global Compact, the largest voluntary corporate responsibility initiative in the world, demonstrating our belief in the power of business to drive positive social and environmental impact.

Gigayacht: Most Expensive Item Sold on eBay
A Frank Mulder designed gigayacht becomes the most expensive item ever sold on eBay, auctioning off for $168 million, according to news reports.

PayPal Goes Mobile
PayPal debuts its first mobile application, allowing millions of PayPal users to send money on the go.  In 2008, PayPal launches a mobile app for iOS, making it one of the first apps to launch in the Apple app store for the iPhone.

Rajiv Dutta Named PayPal President
Rajiv Dutta is the new President of PayPal. He previously served as President of Skype.

2007

eBay Acquires StubHub
We purchase StubHub and become the world's largest online marketplace for tickets.

eBay Green Team
The eBay Green Team starts with 40 passionate San Jose based employees. Since then, Green Teams have taken root with thousands of employees who promote sustainable business practices, inspire environmentally conscious actions and volunteer for green projects in their communities.

2008

New PayPal President: Scott Thompson
PayPal’s Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President, Scott Thompson, is named President.

John Donahoe Named eBay Inc. CEO
John Donahoe, business leader and President of eBay Marketplaces, succeeds Meg Whitman to become President and CEO of eBay Inc. He’s named the #1 Internet CEO by Institutional Investor magazine.

Top 100 Best Companies to Work For
Celebrated for our supportive work environment, eBay Inc. lands a coveted spot on Fortune magazine's list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For (and again in 2009).

Greenest Building in San Jose
The PayPal campus becomes the greenest building in San Jose with the opening of the city’s first LEED® Gold-certified building. At the time of opening, the campus was also home to San Jose’s largest commercial solar installation to date.

PayPal’s 10th Anniversary
Happy 10th birthday, PayPal! By its first decade, PayPal has 150 million accounts across 190 countries, with a total payment volume exceeding $60 billion.

eBay becomes an App
eBay is one of the first companies to launch an iPhone application and is featured during the Apple app store launch. Today, the app is available on other operating systems including Android.

Lorrie Norrington Named eBay President
Lorrie Norrington becomes the new President of eBay Marketplaces.

National Medal of Technology & Innovation
eBay becomes the first Internet company to be awarded America’s highest honor for technological achievement, the National Medal of Technology & Innovation. The award recognizes our outstanding contributions to entrepreneurship worldwide.

eBay Adds Bill Me Later
We bring in the leading web-based payment platform Bill Me Later, offering buyers even greater flexibility in their online purchasing. Soon after, eBay and PayPal team up to offer customers a “Bill Me Later” option during checkout. Today, the service is known as PayPal Credit, joining PayPal Working Capital to offer consumers and businesses a powerful range of flexible credit solutions.  

Jack Sheng Sets Record
Jack Sheng of eForcity Inc. sets an eBay Marketplaces record, becoming the first seller to receive a feedback score of 1,000,000. In honor of this, we named a conference room after him.

2009

100% Rating from the Human Rights Campaign
In recognition of our commitment to a discrimination-free workplace, eBay receives a perfect 100% rating from the Human Rights Campaign – a distinction the company has continued to receive for every subsequent year until the present day.

Top-Rated Seller Status
We begin recognizing outstanding sellers with our new Top-Rated Seller status, helping buyers find the eBay sellers who most consistently deliver exceptional customer service.

eBay Promotes Deals
eBay launches its Deals app, offering buyers and sellers great deals every day.

2010

eBay comes to the iPad
eBay is on the iPad during its launch! Our new iPad app takes advantage of the tablet’s stunning visuals to build a beautiful and easily shoppable venue. The app is one of the first featured at the Apple keynote debuting the iPad.

eBay Adds Milo.com
We acquire Milo.com, a leader in web-based local product search, helping launch local products on eBay.

2011

Women’s Initiative Network (WIN)
We launch the WIN program to support women in building lasting, successful careers in the company. WIN also provides opportunities for women at all levels to learn, grow, and develop.

The Opportunity Project Opens
Advancing our Social Innovation commitments, the eBay Foundation launches The Opportunity Project. Our signature grant-making program supports entrepreneurial solutions to expand economic opportunity in impoverished communities in the U.S. and emerging markets.

eBay Adds GSI Commerce (eBay Enterprise)
We announce the acquisition of ecommerce specialist GSI Commerce, now known as eBay Enterprise. eBay Enterprise provides commerce technologies, omni-channel operations and marketing solutions to brands and retailers of all sizes.

Ethisphere: World’s Most Ethical Companies
We’re honored to be named one of the world's most ethical companies by the Ethisphere Institute, a leading business ethics think tank. We will go on to receive this designation for four years straight.

Major Stake in GittiGidyor
We announce that we will purchase a majority stake in Turkey’s principal online marketplace, GittiGidyor.

eBay Acquires Magento
To facilitate even stronger open platforms, we announce we will acquire Magento, a leading toolset for open-source ecommerce.

eBay Acquires Zong
We expand our mobile capabilities and announce our acquisition of Zong, a leading mobile carrier billing-based payments platform.

eBay Welcomes Devin Wenig
Former Thomson Reuters Markets CEO Devin Wenig joins as President of eBay Marketplaces.

2012

PayPal Here Announced
PayPal announces PayPal Here, the first mobile payment solution that allows small businesses to accept nearly any form of payment, no matter their size.

PayPal Welcomes David Marcus
Entrepreneur David Marcus, who came to eBay via the Zong acquisition, is named President of PayPal.

$3+ Million Power Lunch with Warren Buffett
The annual charity auction for a power lunch with Warren Buffett goes for a record $3.46 million.

Global Shipping Program Launched
We launch a Global Shipping Program, helping U.S. sellers grow their businesses by more easily shipping to international buyers.

2013

PayPal’s Working Capital Initiative
PayPal pilots its Working Capital initiative, a new loan program for Small Business. By the end of the year, Working Capital enables thousands of SMBs to borrow tens of millions of dollars. In 2014, the program expands to Australia and the U.K.

Braintree Acquisition
To strengthen PayPal’s online payment capabilities, we add an innovative payment platform, Braintree.

Bloom Energy Servers
Advancing our commitment to cleaner energy sources, we open the world’s first data center to use Bloom Energy Servers™ as the primary, on-site power source, instead of the traditional electric utility grid.

Digital Storefronts Unveiled
Pointing the way to the physical storefront of the future, we unveil three connected storefronts at San Francisco’s Westfield Shopping Mall. Customers can browse items in a virtual window, pay using PayPal, and arrange for free home delivery

2014

Machine Translation Tools
Our path-breaking Machine Translation Tools help drive cross-border commerce, enabling the company to reach consumers in markets like Russia and Latin America.

PayPal Available in 203 Countries
PayPal announces 10 new international markets and is now accessible in 203 countries.

eBay Joins with Sotheby’s
Proving that art isn’t only for the super rich, we join forces with Sotheby’s to offer mid-priced works of art in a virtual live-auction format.

Superman Comic Sold for $3.2 Million
A well-preserved copy of Superman #1 is sold for $3.2 million on eBay. It’s the most expensive comic book ever sold.

eBay and PayPal to Become Two New Companies
eBay and PayPal announce plans to become independent companies in 2015, enabling both to sharpen their strategic focus and hone in on innovative growth opportunities in their respective markets.

Welcoming Dan Schulman
Consumer brands expert Dan Schulman is named as PayPal’s President and CEO designee.

2015

eBay Spins Off PayPal
eBay and PayPal trade as separate companies on Nasdaq stock exchange.

Devin Wenig is eBay’s Fourth CEO
Tapped as our CEO Designee in 2014, Devin takes over as eBay CEO.

eBay’s 20th Anniversary
Happy 20th birthday, eBay!

eBay Inc. Completes Sale of eBay Enterprise
eBay Inc. completes the sale of eBay Enterprise to a consortium of businesses for $925 million.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EBay

https://www.ebayinc.com/our-company/our-history/