The Man, The Legend: Craig Newmark and the Dynasty of Craigslist

At 53, “he is old enough to be the father of many of the Web 2.0-ers already selling their businesses for millions of dollars, and he revels in his reputation as a geek savant." Craig Newmark is founder of the popular classified site, Craigslist.

At 53, “he is old enough to be the father of many of the Web 2.0-ers already selling their businesses for millions of dollars, and he revels in his reputation as a geek savant - but he's modest about his achievement.” Craig Newmark, founder of the popular classified site Craigslist, calls his site a flea market where it’s more about socializing than commerce. He says the whole site is designed based on what people have asked for, admitting he’s had very few ideas of his own, and he lacks total vision. Surprising to learn in this article from The Guardian – that one of the Web’s biggest geniuses got there by listening to his audience rather than leading a new niche. “…Newmark has become the embodiment of the newspaper industry's worst nightmare.” How true. He’s created an empire with an estimated worth of over a billion dollars. But it doesn’t really charge money for anything. “There is a small charge for employers seeking staff and estate agents advertising property but everything else - personals, old furniture, you name it - is free.” Craig Newmark and his partner Jim Buckmaster (a guy who is 6’7”) are hilariously described as being “so laid-back you feel the need to check for a pulse.” They totally refuse to say how much the company makes, modestly replying: “How much money does a guy need to make? It used to be that the only thing I needed in my life was a garage. Now I have a garage ... I could use a hummingbird feeder which works better than the one I have, but aside from that there's not much I need.” Sounds like the words of a really wealthy man if you ask me! Newmark worked for IBM for 17 years and launched Craigslist in 1993 (it wasn’t a formal company until 1999). Today over 300 cities call Craigslist their online home for classifieds and it’s used by more than 15 million people a month. And only 23 people run the site. Check link above for the in-depth profile of one of the Web’s most famous unknown faces.