Nearly 13 years ago, 28-year-old software developer Pierre Omidyar had an idea for an online auction site. Under the title AuctionWeb, he offered a broken laser pointer for sale to the highest bidder.

Pleasantly surprised when the item sold for £14.83, Omidyar contacted the buyer to check that he realised the pointer was broken.

"I'm a collector of broken laser pointers," came the reply.

That was the birth of eBay, one of the internet's most prized success stories.

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