eBay Inc. is an American multinational internet consumer-to-consumer corporation, headquartered in San Jose, California. It was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995, and became a notable success story of the dot-com bubble; it is now a multi-billion dollar business with operations localized in over thirty countries. It provides a robust platform where merchants of all sizes can compete and buyers and sellers can connect. As of January 2014, eBay's market capitalization stood at roughly $69 billion. It is considered one of the most successful internet startups of all time by market capitalization, revenue, growth and cultural impact.