
25. Pierre Omidyar – $17.2 billion
If you’ve ever used eBay, then you’ve contributed to the staggering wealth of one of the dot.com era’s greatest success stories: Pierre Omidyar. Omidyar was born to Iranian immigrants in France who later moved the family to the US when he was only six. A talented programmer, Omidyar wrote the code for an auction website when he was only 28 and named it eBay after his first choice of name, Echo Bay, was already in use. The online auction site became a hit and a household name throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s and became an incredibly valuable stock.

Omidyar’s eBay purchased PayPal, the online payment platform, in 2002 and made it a vital part of eBay’s business model by encouraging sellers and buyers to use the payment method for all eBay sales. Omidyar personally owns 5% of eBay and 6% of PayPal, which derives his billions of worth. Omidyar owns FirstLook Media, which includes news sites like The Intercept. He also owns extensive vacation and resort properties and himself resides in lush tropical Hawaii. His Omidyar Network has already donated over $1.5 billion to charitable causes through investments in non-profits that tackle global human problems.