Who is Pierre Omidyar? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Pierre Morad Omidyar, Parviz Morad Omidyar

Age: 57 Years, 57 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Pamela Kerr

mother: Elahé Mir-Djalali Omidyar

Billionaires IT & Software Entrepreneurs

Ancestry: Iranian American, Iranian French

City: Paris

Notable Alumni: Tufts University

Founder/Co-Founder: eBay, eShop, Omidyar Network

More Facts

education: University of California, Berkeley, Tufts University

Humanitarian Work: Co-founder of 'Enterprise Zimbabwe'

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1

What is the significance of Pierre Omidyar in the tech industry?

Pierre Omidyar is best known as the founder of eBay, one of the pioneering e-commerce platforms that revolutionized online shopping.
2

How did Pierre Omidyar contribute to philanthropy?

Pierre Omidyar and his wife founded the Omidyar Network, a philanthropic investment firm that supports initiatives promoting social change and entrepreneurship.
3

What impact did Pierre Omidyar have on the sharing economy?

Pierre Omidyar's creation of eBay can be seen as a precursor to the sharing economy, where individuals can buy and sell goods directly from one another online.
4

What are some other notable ventures or investments by Pierre Omidyar?

Pierre Omidyar has invested in various media organizations, including First Look Media and The Intercept, to support independent journalism and free speech.
5

How has Pierre Omidyar influenced the concept of microfinance?

Pierre Omidyar co-founded the Omidyar Network to support microfinance initiatives and empower individuals in developing countries through access to financial services.

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Childhood & Early Life

Pierre Morad Omidyar was born to Iranian settlers, Elahé Mir-Djalali Omidyar, and her husband, in Paris, on June 21, 1967.His mother is a renowned linguistics scholar, and his father was employed at the 'Johns Hopkins University' as a surgeon.

The family later settled down in the U.S, where the young boy attended the 'Potomac School', Virginia. He eventually completed his secondary education in 1984, from 'St. Andrew's Episcopal School' in Maryland.

In 1988, Pierre earned his bachelor's degree from Massachusetts' 'Tufts University', with a specialization in computer science. After graduating, he worked for a few years at a company called ‘Claris’ that developed some of the software used by 'Apple Inc.'.

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Career

In 1991, this software enthusiast, along with Arnold Blinn, Greg Stein, Will Poole, and Matt Kursh, founded a small-scale pen computing firm named, 'Ink Development'.

Two years later, the founders of 'Ink Development' rechristened the company to 'eShop', and began focussing on e-commerce.

On September 4, 1995, Omidyar inaugurated an internet site called 'Auction Web', which allowed users to buy and sell items online.

Within a span of one year, the brilliant businessman acquired the license to sell airplane tickets on the site. In 1996, he also hired the proficient engineer, 'Jeffrey Skoll', to work with him on 'Auction Web'.

In 1997, 'Auction Web' was renamed as 'eBay', after his initial choice of 'echobay' was already in use. During the same period auctions of items on sale had hit an average of 800,000 per day.

The following year, another competent entrepreneur was employed as the Chief Executive Officer for 'eBay'. The ‘eBay’ business continued to excel, bringing home billions for all the co-founders of the website.

In 2004, along with wife Pamela, he founded the 'Omidyar Network', which helps small businesses strive to bring about a difference to the society, by providing them with finance.

Pierre also takes a keen interest in digital media, introducing the 'Honolulu Civil Beat', a news website in 2010. Since then the 'Honolulu Civil Beat' has won the 'Best News Website' award for three years at a stretch.

In 2013, the weblog 'Huffpost Hawaii' was founded, which was a result of collaboration between the 'Huffington Post', and 'Honolulu Civil Beat'.

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On February 10, 2014, the successful entrepreneur established a journalism company named, 'First Look Media', and its subsidiary, 'The Intercept', which delivers online news. The organization was made up of renowned journalists like Glenn Greenwald, Dan Froomkin, Jeremy Scahill, and Laura Poitras.

Major Works

His most successful establishment has been that of ‘eBay’, which started out as a small-scale e-business website. However in recent times, it has earned billions of dollars, and has also launched subsidiaries like ‘Half.com’, ‘Kijiji’, and ‘StubHub’.

Awards & Achievements

In 1999, Pierre won the 'EY Entrepreneur of The Year' award, for his successful venture, 'eBay'.

This ingenious entrepreneur was awarded an honorary doctorate in Public Service by his alma-mater, 'Tufts University' in 2011.

Personal Life & Legacy

Pierre is married to a biology graduate and co-founder in most of his ventures, Pamela Wesley, and the two have been blessed with three children.

In 2010, Omidyar, along with Pamela, Richard Branson, and the 'Nduna Foundation', founded the 'Enterprise Zimbabwe', as a venture aimed at helping the nation develop their economy.

Facts About Pierre Omidyar

Omidyar has a passion for philanthropy and has pledged to give away the majority of his wealth to various charitable causes through his foundation, Omidyar Network.

In 2013, Omidyar launched First Look Media, a journalism venture that focuses on independent investigative reporting and storytelling.

Omidyar is a licensed pilot and enjoys flying small aircraft in his spare time.

Omidyar is known for his interest in space exploration and has invested in several space technology companies, including Planetary Resources, which aims to mine asteroids for resources.

Pierre Omidyar Biography

You wanted to know

What is the significance of Pierre Omidyar in the tech industry?

How did Pierre Omidyar contribute to philanthropy?

What impact did Pierre Omidyar have on the sharing economy?

What are some other notable ventures or investments by Pierre Omidyar?

How has Pierre Omidyar influenced the concept of microfinance?