eBay is overwhelmingly the most familiar and successful online auction marketplace. This is due to the vision of a San Diego, Ca., resident, Pierre Omidyar, who started the company in the living room of his home in 1995 with the help of Jeff Skoll. Initially, the two men dealt only in collectible items but felt there was a vast untapped market that they could reach. In 1998, Omidyar and Skoll brought Meg Whitman into the fold. The rest of the story is an example of unimaginable success. Whitman, who had studied at Harvard Business School and was well-versed in branding at companies such as Hasbro, recruited a marketing staff that had an average 20 years' experience per person. Their collective vision and passion have paid off wildly. According to the 2014 Forbes 2000 list, eBay is worth $71.01 billion. Brand recognition is one of the reasons eBay is an excellent venue source for people who want to make money online. Its sheer magnitude of its brand almost ensures that potential customers will visit the eBay website before going elsewhere.