Hey, these guys are still around.
Scott Blum, 38, buy.com
He's ba-a-ack! In 1999, Blum sold his controlling interest in buy.com, the discount e-tailer he founded, to a Japanese investment bank for $230 million. "I got ridiculed for selling," he says, "but I felt the market was getting out of control. The company was trading at a $5 billion market cap." The bubble soon burst, and in late 2001 a deep-pocketed Blum (see Easy Come, Easy Go) was able to buy the now-profitable company back for a mere $26 million.
Eric Brewer, 35, Inktomi
Though Paul Gauthier (see Easy Come, Easy Go) cashed out $128 million of his Inktomi shares and left, fellow co-founder Brewer has kept most of his.
Shawn Fanning, 21, Napster
The music-sharing site is in the midst of a Chapter 11 filing, but creator Fanning--now CTO--sees "tremendous potential," says a spokeswoman.
Samer Hamadeh, 33, Vault.com
This job-hunting website survived because it's a "lean operation," says Hussam Hamadeh, brother of CEO Samer. (Hussam, CFO, is still there too.)
Philip Kaplan, 26, Fucked Company
Kaplan says he's surprised to be "making a lot of money" from the bluntly named website he founded that tracks dot-com flameouts.
Russ Leatherman, 40, Moviefone
Even after selling the company to AOL in 1999, co-founder Leatherman remains an executive there--and the booming voice of "Mr. Moviefone."
Tom Leighton, 45, Akamai
Leighton was "hit hard" by the death of fellow co-founder CEO Danny Lewin on Sept. 11--but it led him to "redouble my effort" at the software firm.
Greg Maffei, 42, 360 Networks
Now that's devotion: Even after his telecom filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June 2001, the CEO and former Microsoftie hasn't left.
David Moore, 50, 24/7 Real Media
"I'm the only original CEO left in our space [Internet advertising]," co-founder Moore brags. "I'm determined to take the company to profitability."
Kevin O'Connor, 42, Doubleclick
As chairman of the board, O'Connor is focused on turning around the struggling Internet marketing company he founded in 1996.
Kim Polese, 40, Marimba
Famous as one of the few female CEOs in Silicon Valley, Polese is now chairman of the software-change management company she co-founded.
Michael Saylor, 37, Microstrategy
This notorious self-promoter, whose software company is still in business, has lost billions over the past few years.
David Wetherell, 48, CMGI
In February, under pressure from shareholders irate about the Internet incubator's falling stock price, Wetherell resigned as CEO--but he's still chairman. |
