Contents
Pierre Omidyar
Founding eBay and helping establish online person-to-person commerce.
AuctionWeb · Omidyar Network
- Born
- 21 June 1967
- Birthplace
- Paris, France
More people
Pierre Omidyar
French-born American entrepreneur and philanthropist who began eBay as a small online auction experiment.
Early life
Family migration
Born in Paris to Iranian parents and moved to the United States as a child.
Computing
Developed an interest in computers at school and studied computer science at Tufts University.
Career
- 1980s–1990s
Software development
Worked in software and co-founded a business later known as eShop.
- 1995–2000s
eBay
Created AuctionWeb, which became eBay, and helped guide its expansion.
- 2000s onward
Philanthropy and media
Developed philanthropic initiatives and supported independent journalism.
Companies & projects
AuctionWeb
Launched the person-to-person auction service that became eBay.
Omidyar Network
Established a philanthropic investment organization with his wife Pamela.
Honolulu Civil Beat
Helped launch a nonprofit-oriented local journalism venture.
Beyond work
Giving
Committed with his wife to the Giving Pledge.
Journalism
Provided backing for First Look Media and investigative reporting.
Sources & photo credit
Biography and references ↗Biography and contributions ↗Company and journalism roles ↗Photo: Joi 15:42, 2 August 2007 (UTC). CC BY 2.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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