Pierre Omidyar
Founder of eBay and philanthropic investor.
Last updated
via Wikipedia: Pierre Omidyar · see source
Pierre Omidyar's birthplace was Paris, France, and his parents were from Iran.[1] eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar, and he held the position of chairman at that company from 1998 until 2015.[2] Forbes estimated Omidyar's net worth at $12.5 billion in August 2026, ranking him as the 255th wealthiest person globally.[2]
Life and work
His father worked as a urologist at Johns Hopkins University after the family immigrated to the United States.[3] He graduated from Tufts University in 1988 with a degree in computer science.[1] In 1995, he launched an online service called Auction Web on Labor Day weekend.[1] A broken laser pointer was the very first product purchased on the site.[4]
The company was renamed eBay by Omidyar in 1997, and he then started a vigorous advertising campaign.[1] PayPal, a firm specializing in online payments, was acquired by eBay in 2002.[5] Omidyar left the eBay board of directors in September 2020.[1]
What the cited sources add
The Omidyar Network, established in 2004, announced it would dedicate $55 million to fund technology investments around the world.[6] Omidyar moved to Hawai'i in 2006 with his wife and three kids.[7] He owns a 640-acre ranch in Montana, a home in southern California, and a residence on an island off the coast of France.[7] In 2007, the Omidyars awarded a three-year, $750,000 grant to support Kanu's online network.[7]
The Omidyars also supported Ma'o Organic Farms in Wai'anae with grants totaling $750,000.[7] Omidyar purchased the eBay.com address when his first choice, Echobay.com, was taken.[8] eBay.com featured a page for a biotech startup that Omidyar's fiancé had been working for.[8]
References
- "Pierre Omidyar Biography and Interview", www.achievement.org. facts only, no text reused. achievement.org
- Wikipedia, "Pierre Omidyar" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; "Pierre Omidyar", US Virtual Embassy Iran, January 1, 2015; Alirezaijan 2025, p. 186-189; "Pierre Omidyar", Forbes (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Pierre Omidyar" (CC BY-SA 4.0) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Pierre Omidyar" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Cava, "eBay's 20th made possible by Canadian retiree", USA TODAY (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Pierre Omidyar" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "eBay Inc. Board Approves Completion of eBay and PayPal Separation", About eBay, 2015-12-28; "Pierre Omidyar", Forbes (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Hosenball, "Here's Who's Backing Glenn Greenwald's New Website", Huffpost, October 15, 2013. facts only, no text reused. huffpost.com
- Rick Daysog, "A 'wonderful rediscovery' in isles - EBAY FOUNDER MAKES HOME IN HAWAII", March 22, 2009. facts only, no text reused. the.honoluluadvertiser.com
- Erin Griffith, "eBay started as a website about Ebola", October 16, 2014. facts only, no text reused. fortune.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Pierre Omidyar (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Pioneers And Innovators
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Pierre Omidyar (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced