eBay

Online auction website, eBay, was founded by computer programmer Pierre Omidyar in San Jose, California, on September 3, 1995. The online shopping phenomenon allows people from all over the world to buy and sell new and second and goods. The very first item auctioned on eBay was a broken laser pointer. It was sold for $14.83. The company went public in September 1998, making the founder and the company's president billionaires.